Love Me Again
by shipsinlove3
Summary: April and Jackson have had an on-again, off-again relationship for the last 13 years. Harriet, now a teenager, is tired of her parents putting her in the middle of their relationship. So, she does the only thing that will help her get the answers she wants. Harriet asks April to tell her the whole story between her and Jackson. Can she put the broken pieces back together?
1. It's Complicated

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Greys Anatomy". I really miss Japril and I want to do a future fic where the two work on their relationship and ultimately reunite. This will take place 13 years in the future. I hope you enjoy this fanfiction, since we aren't getting any of their scenes on the show right now. Thanks for reading.

Love Me Again

Chapter 1

It's Complicated

Harriet Kepner-Avery sits in her father's office, waiting patiently for him. He'd promised her that they could go out for lunch today, but she wouldn't count on it. Ever since he became the Chief of Grey Sloan Memorial, he hasn't had time for her. He always comes up with excuses, every time their supposed to do something together and it makes her so angry. She's supposed to come first in his life, isn't she? Harriet is just about to call her mom, when her father rushes into his office. "Hey, nugget, I'm sorry I'm late." There is nothing in this world that makes her angrier, than either one of her parents calling her by her childhood nickname. "Dad, what did I tell you about calling me nugget?" Her father shifts some of his files on the desk, then looks over at her with a smirk. "I thought you said I couldn't say it when other people were around, I don't see anyone here." Harriet grinds her teeth in anger. "Let's go dad, mom's picking me up soon." She stands up from her chair and her father stares at her in confusion. "I thought you were staying with me this weekend?" Harriet knew he wouldn't react well to this, as soon as she decided not to stay with him. "I promised mom I'd babysit for Gabriel and Mary while she went out tonight. Jenny came down with the flu yesterday." She watches her father's expression turn into anger. "Why didn't your mom tell me this, I could have taken Gabriel and Mary this weekend, too?" Harriet stares at her father for a few moments, wondering why her parents always put her in the middle of everything? For as long as she's been alive, she's been the referee between them and she's sick of it. "I don't know, why haven't you talked to mom in the last month?" Her father gives her his deep frown that tells her he's disappointed in her. "What happens between me and your mom isn't any of your business." With that, he grabs his laptop case and slings it over his shoulder. Her father walks right past her without saying a word and she follows behind, wondering why things always have to be so complicated with her parents.

The ride to the restaurant is quiet and it's driving Harriet crazy. Her dad is a bigger drama queen than her and her mom combined. Harriet's cell phone rings and she grabs it out of her pocket. She looks at the caller i.d. and sees that it's her mom. Harriet takes a breath and puts the phone against her ear. "Hi mom." She feels her dad's eyes snap to her and she sighs. "Hey, sweetie, did your dad ever show up?" Harriet looks over at her dad, who's eyes are back on the road. She can see that he's clearly still angry because his shoulders are tense holding the steering wheel. "Yes." Her mother is quiet for a few moments. "How did he take the news that you're not staying with him this weekend?" Harriet breathes a sharp breath in, tired of her parent's endless fight. "Like you'd expect." That's all she has to say for her mom to understand.

Even though her parents aren't together, they still know each other inside and out. There's no one that knows her dad better than her mom and vice versa. Harriet has always had trouble understanding their relationship. They seem so perfect, but… "I'm sorry I put you in that position, nugget." Jeez, there it is again, but she's not going to bother trying to argue this time because she knows it's no use. "It's okay, I'm used to being the go-between." Harriet hears her dad sigh next to her and she's tempted to put the phone to his ear, so he can finally talk to her. "You don't really think that, do you?" She tightens her grip on the phone for a few seconds. "I do." With that, she presses end and hangs up on her mother. Harriet knows that she's going to bombard her as soon as she comes through the door later today, but she doesn't care right now.

Harriet sits at the table, feeling uncomfortable with the silence. Usually, her dad would tell her about a cool surgery he did and the two would talk the entire dinner. She's always enjoyed hearing both her parents tell her stories about their time in the ER as surgeons. Harriet's admired their dedication and passion for what they do. She just wishes she had the same enthusiasm they do about being a surgeon. Ever since she was a little girl, her grandma has tried to get her interested in surgery, giving her every medical journal known to man and even letting her sit in on a couple of surgeries. Yet, she's never liked it at all. Blood makes her queasy and she doesn't want to spend her whole life in an OR. "Daddy." His eyes flash over to her in surprise because she hasn't called him that in forever. Desperate times call for desperate measures. "Why are you shutting out, mom?" She watches her dad squirm a little and it surprises her.

Usually, her father is calm and cool about everything, but when it comes to her mom, all bets are off. "We're not talking about this." He takes a sip of his beer and avoids her eyes. "What, are you just going to shut me out, too?" Her father's eyes whip back at her. "I'm not shutting you out, it's just complicated between me and your mom right now." Harriet feels anger rise within her. "When isn't it complicated between you and mom?" Her father sighs in frustration. "What happened to the two of you, I've never heard the full story?" Her father averts his eyes from her and holds up his hand for the check. Shutting her out of his life.

When Harriet gets home later, she's not surprised to see her mom sitting up waiting for her. She walks into the living room, knowing that she won't avoid this interrogation. Her mom puts down her laptop and locks eyes with her from across the room. "Come sit." She pats the spot next to her on the couch and Harriet sits down. She hopes this "talk" won't be too painful. "Why do you think you're always in the middle of your dad and I?" She looks at her mom like she has a third eye. "Because I am. Ever since I was a child, I've had to deal with you and dad's issues. Either get it together or leave me out of it." Her mom's eyes go wide. "Watch your tone." Harriet shakes her head. "You and dad have always gone back and forth. Did you ever think how that's impacted Me, Gabe, and Mary?" Her mother stares at her teary eyed.

Oh oh, she's made her mom cry, never a good thing. "We didn't…I didn't…know that you felt that way." Harriet nods her head. "Well, that's because you've never asked." The room goes quiet and she watches her mom cry silently for a few moments. She feels bad for causing this to happen, but her mom wanted to know the truth. "What happened between you and dad? I want to know the full story from beginning to end," Her mom's eyes lock with hers and she takes a sharp breath in. "If I tell you, you have to promise you won't tell your dad." Harriet nods and waits for what's sure to be the most complicated love story ever.


	2. Not Your Typical Love Story

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Greys Anatomy". Wow, I guess I'm not the only one that misses the magic of Japril on the show. Thanks for giving this fanfiction a chance and favoriting/following it. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, it was a fun one to write. Thanks for reading.

Chapter 2

Not Your Typical Love Story

Harriet waits for her mom to begin the story. Over the years, she's heard bits and pieces about how her parents got together, but never the whole story. She knows that they did their intern year together at Mercy West and then that hospital merged with Seattle Grace. Harriet also knows about how they got married on a whim and were only engaged for eighteen hours. Neither one of her parents ever filled in the rest of the blanks in the story. "You know that your dad and I first met at Mercy West." Harriet nods for her to continue. "I always secretly liked your dad. He was good looking and way out of my league, but I couldn't help but admire him from afar." She tries to picture her mom stealing glances at her dad and can't help but laugh at how awkward her mom must have been doing it. "Somehow, we became friends through our best friends, Reed and Charles…" Harriet sees her mom's eyes watering at the mention of her friends. Neither one of her parents had ever mentioned these so-called best friends. "Tell me about them." Her mom locks eyes with her, as a tear falls down her cheek. "Reed was my best friend. Imagine my polar opposite, she was confident and fearless." A small smile comes over her face and Harriet grabs her hand in hers. "And Charles was kinda a goofball, your dad and him were really close." Harriet waits for her mom to continue, holding her breath. "We did everything together and when the hospitals merged, we thought we were on top of the world." Another few moments pass, before her mom squeezes her hand. "We had worked there for almost a year, when the shooting happened." The look in her mom's eyes scares her. She can see the fear in them and it clenches her heart. "I found Reed that day…when…the shooter…shot her." Harriet freezes for a second, trying to picture her mom finding her best friend murdered in cold blood.

The image brings chills up and down her arms. "I…came to the supply closet…and tripped over her…body." At this point, her mom is breaking down into sobs and she's not sure how to comfort her. It happened over twenty years ago, but she knows it can't be easy talking about it. Harriet squeezes her mom's hand in hers. "I'm sorry, mom." Everything's quiet between them for a few minutes, until little feet can be heard running down the hallway. Harriet turns around and sees Gabe and Mary clad in their pjs. Their overly hyper and it usually doesn't get on her nerves, but tonight it's annoying. "Hey there, munchkins." The twins make their way towards the couch where her and her mom are sitting.

Harriet turns and watches her mom wipe at her eyes, pretending like she didn't just break down a few minutes ago. For the first time in her life, she sees just how strong her mom is and she admires her for it. The twins sit on either side of her and her mom giggling. "Mommy, can we watch a movie?" asks her little brother. Ugh, the twins and their movies. She swears if she has to watch another cartoon movie she might kill herself. "Yeah, mommy, let's watch a movie On-Demand." Harriet rolls her eyes, as her mom grabs the remote and turns it on. It takes almost thirty minutes for her mom to find something for them to watch and she's getting sick of waiting. Whenever the twins come around, it's like she doesn't exist. "Mom." Her mom puts a blanket over the twins and turns to look at her. "Are you going to finish the story?" Her mom makes her way over to her. "I'll try before I have to leave, let's talk in the kitchen." Harriet nods at her mom.

The two make their way to the kitchen table and Harriet sits down, eager to hear the rest of the story. Her mom sits across from her and takes a sharp breath. "Charles died that day too." Harriet's heart drops at her words. "Your dad and I became closer after that because we grieved together." She nods at her mom, letting her know that she's listening. Harriet watches a smile replace the frown on her face. "Over time, we became best friends and even lived together in Meredith's house for a little while." Harriet can't help but smile at the thought of her parents living in the "frat house", as her Aunt Arizona had called it one time, when she was joking around with her mom. "Did Aunt Arizona ever live there?" Her mom shakes her head. "No, but some of the other surgeons did." Harriet nods at her words. "So, you and dad got together there?" Her mom shakes her head. "We didn't get together then, your dad dated Lexi before we happened." _Lexi_ , she's heard that name mentioned a few times over the years, but doesn't have a clear picture of who she actually was. "Lexi was Meredith's younger sister who died in a plane crash. She was a surgeon who was shadowing Meredith's husband Derek. Lexi would have been a Neurosurgeon by now." Harriet did hear about a plane crash that nearly killed a few surgeons at Seattle Grace Mercy West, but she didn't think that anyone had died. "So, after she died, then you and dad got together?" Her mom shakes her head again.

Harriet feels confusion wash over her. "Then, when did it happen?" She watches her mom take a deep breath. "We first got together a few weeks before that." Harriet stares at her for a moment, more confused than ever. "It happened before we took our Boards to become Residents." She nods her head. "Okay, how did it happen?" Her mom takes another sharp breath, her cheeks blushing pink. "You and dad didn't…?" Her mom looks away from her and Harriet's jaw drops. "Wait a second, you slept with dad before you two were married? I bet grandma and grandpa weren't happy." Her mom still isn't looking at her and she can see how embarrassed she is. "Mom, I'm not a little kid anymore, but please spare me the details." Her mom finally nods, and her eyes return to her. "So…after that, we sort of got together." Harriet shakes her head. "What do you mean, sort of." Her mom's cheeks turn even more pink. "Okay, never mind, just continue." Her mom gives her an uncomfortable smile.

Another pause ensues. "I had a pregnancy scare not long after that and we broke up." Harriet's eyes go wide. "You thought you were pregnant?" Her mom nods. "So, why did you break-up with dad?" She waits a few tense moments for her mom to answer. Her mom's eyes lock with hers. "When I found out I wasn't pregnant, I was happy. Your dad misunderstood my reaction and thought I was relieved that I wasn't having his baby. That wasn't why I was happy, though." Harriet fills in the rest of the blanks herself. She knows how strict and not to mention Christian her grandparents are. The thought of her mom being pregnant and not married probably would have blown their minds. Harriet nods for her mom to continue. "He thought I didn't want to have his baby and marry him, so that was it." Harriet's eyes go wide for the second time tonight. "Dad wanted to marry you?" Her mom nods with a sad smile. "Yeah and your dad wasn't the marrying type." Harriet figured as much, since her dad has dated a string of women and hasn't committed to any of them. "What happened after that?" Her mom shifts uncomfortably. "We stayed best friends and we both started dating other people." Harriet nods her head for her to continue. "I started dating a paramedic named Matthew and your dad dated an intern at the hospital named Stephanie." Her mom's eyes dart to the clock and then back at her. "Well, before I knew it, Matthew proposed, and I was engaged. He was a nice guy that was also Christian and shared the same values." Harriet stares at her in confusion. "So, what happened?" Her mom takes a breath. "Matthew was perfect on paper, but he wasn't your dad." Harriet's heart stops at her words.

The look of utter love in her eyes is something she never sees anymore. She remembers there were moments in her life, where both her parents looked at each other like that, but it was few and far between. "It was my wedding day and I asked your dad to come." Harriet gives her mom a smile. "Oh oh." Her mom laughs. "Yeah, oh oh is right." Her mom's smile widens and her heart warms at the sight. "I was just about to marry Matthew, it was my dream wedding, but something made me look at your dad. See, nugget, I always felt drawn to him and in that moment, it was him I was looking at, not Matthew." Her mom grins. "Something made your dad stand up and tell me that he loved me. He never told me what it was, but I'm glad that he did." Harriet's surprised by this, considering how rocky her parent's relationship has been. "You are?" Her mom stares at her in confusion. "Of course, I am. I wouldn't have you, your brother or your sister, if your dad hadn't stood up that day." Harriet gives her mom a big smile. "You were a runaway bride?" Her mom nods. "Yes, we got married eighteen hours later in Lake Tahoe. It was the most magical day of my life." Her mom looks almost wistful. "We were happy for a while, but then our differences started clashing and I got pregnant." Harriet can't hide her surprise at having another sibling. "What?" Her mom's smile turns into a frown and her eyes become blank. "I had a routine ultrasound and found out that the baby had type II osteogenesis imperfecta." Harriet stares at her mom in confusion. "In Lemans Terms, mom." It takes her mom a few seconds to get the words out and Harriet feels a pang in her chest. She reaches out to grab her mom's hand. "It means that his bones were breaking inside of me…he died not long after he was born." Harriet watches the tears fall down her mom's cheeks and she regrets asking her about it. She gets up from her chair and makes her way over to her mom, wrapping her up in her arms and crying for the older brother she never knew.

They cry together for who knows how long and then the doorbell rings. Harriet and her mom both wipe the tears off their cheeks and she watches her mom's eyes go wide. She shoots out of the chair and runs to the door. "Sorry, I lost track of time." Harriet gets herself together and makes her way to the front door. She sees her mom run upstairs and turns to the person at the door. "What's going on here, did your mom and you watch a sappy romantic movie, and not call me?" Harriet somehow manages a smile. "Come on in, Aunt Arizona." Her aunt gives her a smile back and comes in. Maybe, this is her chance to get a different perspective on her parent's relationship.


	3. Missing Pieces

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Greys Anatomy". I am absolutely loving writing this story for all of you and I'm thankful that many of you are enjoying it. I love Japril and it isn't right that the writers are pushing them aside like they've never been anything to each other. In my opinion, their one of the best couples on television and they deserve a happy ending. So, I hope I do them justice here. Thanks for reading.

Chapter 3

Missing Pieces

Harriet quickly leads her Aunt Arizona to the kitchen table, hoping she can get something out of her about her parents. She sits down, and her Aunt Arizona does the same. "What's the rush, H?" Harriet smiles at her aunt's nickname for her. She's been calling her that since she was four and hasn't stopped since. Harriet actually doesn't mind it so much, liking it much better than nugget. "Before you came, I asked mom to tell me her and my dad's whole story. I thought maybe you could shed some light on a few things." Her Aunt Arizona stares at her in confusion. "And your mom's going along with this, why?" Harriet locks eyes with her across the table. "I told her that I was tired of being the go-between, when her and my dad are fighting. I want to know what happened between them, what caused their relationship to go off track." Her aunt gives her a frown. "I don't think you know what you're walking into, H." Harriet feels her heart speed up. "Enlighten me, then." Aunt Arizona shakes her head. "Alright, but don't say that I didn't warn you. What do you want to know?" Harriet thinks for a moment, she has so many questions, but there's one that is pinging around in her head. "What happened to my parents after Samuel died?" Her aunt's eyes go wide at her question. "Your mom left for Jordan because she couldn't cope hanging around the hospital and needed a way to grieve, and your dad stayed in Seattle. She was gone for two tours and your dad asked for a divorce, when she got back from the second. I don't know all the details, but I do know that your mom was heartbroken over it." Harriet remembers her mother mentioning proudly that she used to be a field medic several times over the years. She had clearly loved saving lives on the battlefield, but she had no idea that her mom did it as a way to grieve.

Harriet hears the shower start upstairs and she thanks her lucky stars, that it's buying her more time to get some answers. Her eyes lock with her aunt's. "So, when she got back, that was it, then?" Her aunt nods. "Yes and no, your parents went to therapy for a few weeks, but it didn't save their marriage because your dad had already checked-out of the relationship." She tries to wrap her head around all the pieces of their story she's been collecting tonight, but it's getting harder and harder for her to hear.

Even though, she knows her parents have their problems, she's always thought that their love was something special. To hear all the broken pieces of their story coming together and find out how that special love was torn apart, makes her heart ache for them both. "What happened after the divorce?" Aunt Arizona shakes her head. "I hope your mom doesn't kill me for saying this, but she found out she was pregnant with you the same day she signed those papers." Wow, another bombshell. Harriet had no idea that she was born _after_ her parent's divorce. She finds it interesting that they ended up having all their children, when they thought their relationship was over. First her, after the divorce, and then the twins, after her parents broke- up over a fight that they had. Harriet remembers that they conveniently had this fight when she was at a sleepover. She was eight at the time and didn't understand what had happened between them. One day, her dad was living at the house and the next, he was sleeping at some five-star hotel for almost a month, before finding his own place to live.

Harriet hears her mom get out of the shower upstairs and she knows she's running out of time. "Did they ever get back together after I was born?" Her aunt shakes her head. "No, they didn't get back together, but they did live together to co-parent for your sake." Harriet nods at her words. "I bet that didn't last long, considering my parent's pattern." Aunt Arizona nods at her words. "You're a smart kid, you know that." She gives her a small smile, eager to learn more. "So, they went their separate ways for a while?" Her aunt shakes her head. "Yeah, after Montana." Harriet stares at her in confusion. "What happened in Montana?" Aunt Arizona shakes her head. "Uh uh, that's not my place to tell you that, but I will say that things were never the same between them after." Harriet is curious about what could have happened in Montana. Maybe that is the key to piecing the rest of the story together and getting a clear picture of what happened.

Harriet watches her aunt squirm in her chair a little, probably thinking that she's said too much. "I'll be down in a minute, just putting some make-up on, so I don't look like an old hag." She can't help but smile at her mom's weird humor, but she notices that Aunt Arizona doesn't even crack a smile. "I have one more question and I promise to never ask you about my parent's relationship again." Her aunt's eyes slowly meet hers and she nods. "What caused them to break-up the last time, before the twins were born." Her frown deepens and it's strange to see her usually overly cheery aunt look so sad. Aunt Arizona grabs her hand in hers and their eyes lock. "I really want to be honest with you H, but even I don't know everything that went on that night. What I do know, is that your mom wanted to get married again, but your dad refused. It's not the whole story, but I know that it was part of the reason why they went their separate ways." Harriet is just about to ask why her dad wouldn't want to marry her mom again, when her mom comes flying into the kitchen. Her smile seems ridiculous, after the sad story she's been hearing over the last few hours. "What were you guys talking about?" Aunt Arizona exchanges a look with her and then turns back to her mom. "Nothing, just girl stuff." Her aunt's eyes find hers again and she gives her a smile. "Right, H?" Harriet nods and looks over at her mom with a small smile. "Yeah, Aunt Arizona was very helpful on the topic." She watches her mom's smile widen. "Great, I should be back by midnight, love you, nugget." Harriet nods at her words, as her and Aunt Arizona make their way out of the kitchen. As expected, she hears her mom say goodbye to the twins before leaving. She goes over everything she's learned so far in her head. There's two pieces that don't quite fit, those two pieces are Montana and their last break-up. Harriet is determined to find out more about both pieces from her mom, when she gets home tonight.


	4. The Breakdown

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Greys Anatomy". I hope you enjoy this chapter, I put a lot of time in crafting it. As always, thanks for reading.

Chapter 4

The Breakdown

Harriet tucks the twins in bed and shuts off the light. She's anxiously waiting for her mom to get home, so she can ask the questions she needs answers to. Harriet makes her way down the hall and to the stairs. She remembers playing games on these steps with her friends and it makes her smile. There are some good memories and not so good memories in this house. As she walks downstairs, she wonders if the bad memories outweigh the good memories for her parents. Harriet sighs, as she reaches the bottom and makes her way into the kitchen. Her mom had made her famous rice cakes for the twins, while she was out with her dad earlier, and she never got to eat one. Harriet grabs a rice cake and plops down on the barstool behind the counter. She feels the questions she needs to ask her mom weighing heavily on her. What if her dad finds out that her mom told him their story, what would he do? Harriet wonders if it would make things even worse between them than they already are.

She hears the front door open and close. Harriet's heart hammers away in her chest, as her mom's heels can be heard clicking across the hardwood feels a mixture of fear and excitement all wrapped into one. Harriet's mom appears in the archway and gives her a smile. "How'd the munchkins do?" Harriet takes another bite of her rice cake. "Fine." Her mom nods. "Thanks for babysitting them, good night nugget, I love you." Her mom starts walking out of the kitchen. "Mom, wait, you never told me the rest of the story." She watches her mom freeze in place and she wonders if she thought that she'd let this go. Maybe, be satisfied with the story that she had heard so far, but that's not the case. "What happened in Montana?" She hears her mom sigh and it takes her a few moments to get herself together enough to turn and face her. Her mom's eyes are even sadder than they were earlier, and it causes her heart to ache. She watches her walk across the kitchen and sit on the barstool next to her. "I've only talked about this twice, once with your dad and once with your Aunt Arizona. It's something I don't like talking about, but I promised to be honest about everything, so I'll tell you." Harriet nods, realizing just how important the Montana piece is in the puzzle.

Her mom's eyes lock with hers. "When you were almost a year old, your dad and I flew to Montana for a special case. I wasn't originally supposed to go, but your grandma Catherine snuck behind our backs and arranged the whole thing." Harriet nods, knowing how nosy and meddlesome she is in her life. "Your dad wasn't happy that I came because we had been fighting for weeks about hospital politics." She gives her mom a nod to continue. "It wasn't until I actually got to Montana that I found out that your dad didn't come solely for the case, he came to see his dad." Harriet stares at her mom in confusion. In all her life, the only grandpa she's had is Richard Webber. Up until this point, she's never really wondered about her _real_ grandpa, but now she's curious. "Dad never talks about him, who was he?" Her mom takes an uneasy breath. "Your dad's father left him and your grandma Catherine before he was born. He couldn't handle the Avery family legacy, so he just bailed and bought his own bar." Harriet's eyes widen in surprise. "What?" Her mom nods at her words. "He said that he'd rather be a bartender than a surgeon, so that meant that he had to leave everything behind, including your _dad._ " Harriet's heart stops and she's surprised, when she begins to feel the tears welling up in her eyes. "That must have hurt dad." Her mom gives her a frown. "Your dad went there to confront him, but he couldn't get there on his own, until I pushed him." Harriet nods at her mom's words.

When she was little, when her parents were actually functioning as a couple, she had noticed how supportive her mom was of her dad. There were times that it seemed like she was his driving force, his motivation to be the best he could be. Harriet has always admired that about her parent's relationship. "Even after I gave him that push, he had gone in to talk to his father, but had come out angry at me for making him talk to him." Harriet shakes her head, knowing how her dad can be sometimes.

Anytime he feels threatened or hurt by anyone, he lashes out and then buries his feelings. "I was nervous the next morning becasue we had to come up with a plan to help restore a little girl's voice. We had to try and find a way to put aside our differences, until we came up with something solid." Her mom stops talking for a few moments and Harriet patiently waits for the next part of the story. "While we were coming up with a plan, your dad started opening up to me again. I can't tell you how happy I was to be able to really talk to him again." Harriet can see the heartache her mom must have gone through at the time. She can only imagine what it would be like to not be able to talk to _your person_. Harriet would probably go crazy if she couldn't talk to her person, her best friend Ellis, for more than a day. The room is quiet again for a few moments, the only sound is the old leaky faucet the plumber is supposed to fix soon.

Harriet grabs her mom's hand and squeezes it. Her mom locks eyes with her, the tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, nugget." Harriet shakes her head. "Don't be sorry, mom. Just tell me, if you both ever figured out how to help that girl?' Her mom manages to smile through her tears. "We did, and it was a groundbreaking surgery." Harriet gives her mom a smile and pictures her parents working side by side like a machine in the OR. Her brow suddenly furrows in confusion. "So, if you had a successful surgery, what was so bad about Montana?" Her mom takes a sharp breath in. "The trouble started when we got back to the hotel. We were both on an adrenaline high after the surgery and then we…" Her mom leaves it at that and Harriet's thankful that she didn't spare her any more details about it.

Harriet's brow furrows. "I'm still not getting why Montana was so bad?" Her mom shakes her head and she sees the sadness deepen within her eyes. "When we got back to Seattle, I was stupid and thought that we'd get back together. Your dad and I danced around each other for months after Montana, neither one of us confronting the other to talk about it." Harriet shakes her head, sadly knowing where this story's going. Her mom's eyes lock with hers. "When I finally confronted him about it, he acted like it meant…nothing." Harriet notices that her voice cracked on that final word. She quickly reaches out to her mother and gives her a big bear hug. It's like the ones her mom used to give her when she was feeling sick or scared. Her hugs had always made her feel better, she hopes that it'll do the same for her now.

When her mom finally stops crying, she pulls back and wipes her tears away. Harriet feels bad for everything her mom's gone through, as her red rimmed eyes connect with hers. "I should have known then that things between us would never work out." Her mom leaves that floating in the air between them and Harriet can't help but feel uneasy with the hopelessness of it all. Are her parents ever really over? From what she's heard so far, she doesn't think so. "So, what made you and dad get back together after Montana?" Her mom takes a sharp breath in and starts fidgeting with her hands. She knows this is probably nerve-racking for her, but she has to know. "We had been divorced for four years and your father had _moved on_." Harriet hears the pain and anger in her voice. "We were co-parenting, but we barely talked about anything but you." She nods her head at her words. "You have to understand; your dad and I had always been connected. Not having him in my life the way I wanted him to be was hard." Harriet grabs her mom's hand to support her.

She hopes that she doesn't have a total breakdown because she'd feel even more guilty than she already does. "One night, he was bringing you back after having you for the weekend, and found me on the bathroom floor crying." Her mom averts her eyes from her and Harriet's heart drops. "I had lost a patient, a little boy that I had gotten to know well." Her mom's tears begin again, and Harriet squeezes her hand. "I wasn't even his doctor, but I was walking through Peds to meet your Aunt Arizona for lunch and a little boy about ten years old got my attention." Her mom smiles through her tears. "He asked me if I could score him some jello because none of the nurses would give him any." Harriet smiles at her mom's words. "So, you got it for him?" Her mom nods her head. "I did and then I brought him a jello cup every day on my lunch break." Harriet imagines her mom visiting this little boy and going into mommy mode. She's seen her mommy mode her whole life and sometimes finds it suffocating, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't like it a little. "Where were his parents?" Her mom shakes her head. "He was a runaway and had been brought in after he was hit by a car while riding his bike. Apparently, the driver had been drunk and had a blood alcohol level well above the legal limit." Harriet winces at her words.

Her mom pauses for a few minutes and she waits for her to continue. "He wouldn't tell us who he was or where his parents were at first, until I coaxed it out of him. He trusted me and I trusted him. He told me his name was Michael Fletcher and that his mom was a junkie. He also told me that his dad had abandoned them when he was a baby and left them living on the streets." The tears continue to flow down her mom's cheeks. "We had to contact his mom, but I had fought Bailey and Arizona to try and make sure Michael's mom was fit enough to take care of him." Her mom starts sobbing and she squeezes her hand to continue. "Arizona finally agreed with me, but Bailey said there was a protocol she had to follow. She had to notify the mother." Harriet takes a sharp breath in and feels something nagging at the pit of her stomach. "So…when his mother finally made it to the hospital, high out of her mind, she demanded that Michael be released from our care. She didn't have any insurance and she threatened Bailey that they couldn't hold her son against his will anymore. It was obvious that the woman wasn't stable, but Bailey couldn't do anything to stop her from taking him out of the hospital." Her mom's sobs get louder and Harriet's heart aches for her.

Her mom's eyes lock with hers. "It was a week later when…they…found him." Harriet's breath catches at her mom's words. "He didn't…?" Her mom shakes her head. "No…but Michael's mom's boyfriend, who we found out later had been a drug dealer, beat him to a pulp for running away. He…put him in a… coma." Her mom let's out a loud sob. "When they brought him in, Amelia had said that he'd never wake up, the damage was irreversible." Harriet squeezes her mom's hand again, she knows she's on the verge of a complete breakdown.

Her heart twists with every sob that fills the air around them. "I came to see and talk to him every day. I went to the chapel and prayed that a miracle would happen to wake him up, but…" She knows what's coming next and it makes her stomach churn. "He didn't wake up?" Her mom nods. "No, he had too much brain damage and I was there when they decided to pull the plug." Harriet feels the tears in her own eyes begin. "When I got home that night, I felt completely broken. To be honest, it felt like I had lost Samuel all over again. That's when your dad came in and picked me up off the floor." She manages to smile through the tears. "He was taking care of me like he used to and we got to know each other again." Her mom's glazed eyes lock with hers. "I fell in love with him all over again and I liked to think, he fell for me too. After that, we got back together and then your dad moved back in." Harriet nods at her words and knows the next three years of the story, but she still doesn't know about that night. She'll have to let her mom compose herself again, before she asks her what happened to tear their love story apart…again.


	5. Chain Reaction

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Greys Anatomy". Just a friendly disclaimer, you may need tissues for this chapter. This will be an emotional rollercoaster, but I hope you still enjoy it. As always, thanks for reading.

Chapter 5

Chain Reaction

Harriet lies in bed, staring at the ceiling fan above her. For the last few hours, she's tried to close her eyes and get some sleep, but every time she's close, her mom's tear streaked face and sad eyes jolt her awake. She wonders how her mom is still standing after everything that's happened in her life. From losing Sam (her nickname for him) and that little kid Michael, to losing her dad in every way that matters, it would drive anyone insane. Harriet decides to hop out of bed because she's not getting any sleep, maybe grab a few of her mom's famous chocolate chip cookies that are completely bad for her. Harriet makes her way down the hall and to the stairs. She tries to be as quiet as she can, as she makes it down each step.

When she reaches the bottom, she heads straight for the kitchen, but stops short, when she sees her mom lying asleep on the couch. She looks over the side and sees that her eyes are still swollen, and her make-up is a mess. Harriet also notes that she's still wearing the same clothes she was the night before. So, her mom had pretended to go to bed and then snuck back down after she thought she was asleep. Her heart breaks, as she sees her mom clutching onto a photo album. Over the years, she's seen all her mom's albums, but she's never seen this _one_. Harriet gently grabs the album out of her mom's arms and tiptoes into the kitchen. She sits down on one of the stools at the counter and examines the front of the album. It's plain, not at all like the other albums her mom has created over the years. Usually, they're so colorful and over the top, perfectly matching her personality. Harriet opens the cover and her heart stops, as her eyes fall on the first page.

 _April,_

 _I meant what I said when I stood up at the barn and told you that I wanted you with me. It's me and you, April, and it always will be. I thought you might like to document always._

 _Love,_

 _Jackson_

Harriet's heart aches at the hope in these words, _her_ dad's words. She wonders what happened to this guy? Harriet opens to the next page and can't help but smile. It's a picture of her parents, on their wedding day. The two of them are holding each other and her dad's looking at her mom like she's _his_ world. Her mom's smile is wide, and it warms her heart seeing them like this. _Happy and in love_. Harriet wishes that they could have held onto this moment forever, but they couldn't, and she can't now. She forces herself to turn the page and her heart does a somersault, when she sees another picture of her parents. Her dad is placing a big diamond ring on her left finger he's looking at her mom with so much love and her back at him, it's like their _two different people_. Harriet stares at the picture for a few seconds, before turning the page again. She figures there might be a clue as to what happened between them somewhere in here, maybe a picture right before it happened.

Harriet's heart stops, as she looks down at the page and sees an ultrasound. _Sam's ultrasound_. Her eyes start to fill with tears, when she notices the caption above it. _Avery Baby, hopefully we figure out a name for the little guy or girl!_ Harriet feels the tears fall down her cheeks, as she thinks about how much things would be different if Sam was still around. Would her parents still be together? Would she have more brothers and sisters running around right now? She doesn't know, but she wishes she did because there's still so many unanswered questions. So, Harriet pushes on to the next page, and the picture she sees clenches her heart. It's a picture of her mom and dad, in Sam's nursery. Her mom is sitting in a rocking chair and her dad is putting together the crib. She wonders who took this picture, if both her parents were in it? Harriet notices the smiles they have on their faces, thinking of their happy future together and it makes her stomach churn. They had no idea what was coming, that their son would die, and that their relationship would turn out to be such a mess.

Harriet turns the page and the next few pages after are covered with blood. There are fingerprints everywhere, and her tears continue to fall, as she continues to flip and doesn't see anything else in the photo album. It's like the rest of their relationship _doesn't exist_. "Your dad gave me that photo album a few days after we were married." Harriet jumps at the sound of her mom's voice and her heart hammers within her chest. She turns to see her, standing in the archway. "Jeez, mom, you almost gave me a heart attack." Her mom crosses her arms, oh oh, she knows she's mad. "What are you doing up?" Harriet locks eyes with her. "I was just looking at this photo album that I've never seen before." Her mom unfolds her arms and walks over to the stool next to her. She looks at the open album and the tears well up in her eyes. "This was supposed to be filled with our life together…I guess this is when it stopped…" She trails off and Harriet can hear the sadness in her voice.

She turns to her mom, tears now running down her cheeks. "Whose blood is this?" Her mom's eyes lock with hers and it's the saddest look she's ever seen her have. "Your…dad's." Harriet stares at her in confusion. "What?" Her mom shakes her head. "After I went to Jordan, your dad…grieved by destroying Samuel's nursery. I guess it was his way of dealing with everything. I heard from your grandma later, that he had cut his arm on a piece of the crib that he had torn apart and came to the hospital to get stitches. By the time I got home, everything was cleaned up and the room was…empty." Her mom pauses, and her red rimmed eyes glaze over. "Your dad and I had an argument about where he stored your brother's stuff. After a few days of fighting, he finally told me that he had put everything in a storage locker." Her mom stops again and averts her eyes away from her. "I got the key for the lock and went there. I searched through the boxes and discovered the photo album. You don't know how much finding this broke my heart…" Harriet feels an ache inside her chest at the thought of her mom seeing this album, which is just as _depressing_ and _unfinished_ as their relationship.

She grabs her hand and her mom looks over at her. "I guess your dad must have looked through it and then put it in one of the boxes, right after he cut his arm." The heartache in her voice causes her to squeeze her hand. "Mom, did any of what you just told me, cause you and dad to break-up later?" Her mom shakes her head. "Yes…and no, you could say that it was the _chain reaction_ of it all, but not the reason." Harriet waits for her mom to continue, still holding onto her warm hand. A few minutes pass, before her mom's eyes lock with hers. "When your dad and I got together after Michael's death, we just pretended like everything that happened was in the past and tried to start over." Harriet gives her a nod to continue and her mom sighs. "We were happy for a while, living together and raising you like we were always supposed to." She knows that her mom's heart is breaking in half by telling her this, but she needs to finally know the truth.

She squeezes her hand and the tears continue to fall down her cheeks. "It started when we went out to dinner one night and I brought up the topic of marriage." Her mom takes a sharp breath in. "He was completely against it, saying that we didn't need a piece of paper to be together." Harriet gives her mom a nod. "Your dad also said that he didn't believe in it anymore because of what happened the first time…" Her mom trails off and a few more tears fall down her cheeks. "That… finally brought up all our problems in the past. We ended up arguing so loud, that the manager kicked us out of the restaurant." She takes another sharp breath in and wipes the stray tears off her cheeks. Her mom, always the strong and steady soldier, attempts to march on with the story.

Harriet wishes that she could say something to comfort her, but she knows that no amount of words will fix things. "Was that a few nights before my sleepover?" Her mom nods. "Yes…we had been avoiding each other and I asked if your dad would sit down with me and talk it out. I didn't want you there when we discussed everything because I knew it would hard. It was never our strong suit, but I still had to _try_." She understands now that her mom and dad were trying to keep her out of it back then, but it seems like all of it fell apart that night. "We started talking that night and your dad told me something that I couldn't forgive." Harriet's eyes go wide at her mom's words. The thought that there was something said between them that was so terrible, her mom still hasn't forgiven him, terrifies her. Harriet can feel her heart pounding within her chest in anticipation. "He told me that the real reason he couldn't marry me again was because he couldn't _trust_ me to stay. Even after all that we had been through, he still didn't believe that I'd never leave him again…" Her mom stops and starts sobbing for a few moments, before soldiering on. "I had tried to prove to him over the years, that I would always be there for him moving forward, but your dad is so stubborn…" She trails off again and Harriet's heart clenches. "Before he left, he told me that he regretted standing up in that barn because it… had… wrecked… both… our… lives." She can't believe that her dad would say such a thing, hurt her mom like that. Harriet rubs her back, like she used to do for her, when she was upset like this.

A few minutes pass, before her mom stops sobbing enough to look up at her with red puffy eyes. The pain she sees within them wrenches her heart. "You know, the worst part of it was, that I was going to tell your dad about the twins after we settled everything. It was the only reason I brought up marriage in the first place." Harriet stares at her in confusion. "Wait, I thought dad didn't find out until later?" Her mom shakes her head. "No…he found out the next week, when he came to drop you off. I had sent you upstairs because I knew he'd be mad that I didn't tell him about the pregnancy, when I brought up marriage the week before." Harriet nods uneasily. "Aunt Arizona told me about you finding out you were pregnant with me the same morning you signed the divorce papers. If you knew dad would be mad, why did you do that to him again?" Her mom takes a sharp breath in and she can see how much of an emotional toll this is taking on her.

Harriet feels a wave of guilt wash over her for putting her mom through this. She steadily locks eyes with her. "Because we were right back where we started. Your dad blaming me for leaving him after Samuel's death and me trying to save a marriage that he had grown to _regret_ over time." Harriet feels the pain in her heart and the tears falling uncontrollably. "Please, nugget, don't think that your dad or I _regret_ having you three. We love you more than anything and we're thankful that you are in our lives." Her mom pauses for a moment and their eyes connect. "I love your dad with all my heart and I know deep down he still loves me, but it's never been enough for us to have an _always_." She sighs loudly, trying to control her sobbing.

Her mom takes a few moments to collect herself, before taking a sharp breath in. "I wish more than anything, that the beautiful love I've shared with him to create you three, would erase everything else that's happened, but that's not reality." Harriet holds onto her mom's hand as tightly as she can. "When your dad walked out the door that night, I finally accepted that we'd never find our way back to each other…" The tears continue to fall down both their cheeks and Harriet wonders where her dad stands on their relationship. Part of her is angry at him for saying what he had said to her mom, but maybe he had said it out of hurt? She's aware that people say things they don't mean when their hurt, it's _human nature_ , but she won't know if that's the case, until she gets _his_ side of the story.


	6. Varying Perspectives

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Greys Anatomy". Well, this chapter was more difficult than I thought it would be. Jackson's character has changed so much since the beginning of his arc on the show, especially the previous two seasons, that I wanted to make his characterization seem realistic in this story. I hope I did a good job with it. As always, thanks for supporting and reading this fanfiction.

Chapter 6

Varying Perspectives

The next day, Harriet wakes up and heads to her dad's house. She wasn't supposed to see him today, but her mom let her go anyway. Harriet's glad that her mom had been so honest with her last night, it was refreshing after all the secrets they'd been keeping from her over the years. When they reach her dad's house, her mom pulls over to the side. "Good luck, nugget." Harriet turns to her mom, hearing the pain in her voice. She hopes that she can get them in the same room to talk it out, or in her parent's case, yell it out. Harriet really doesn't care how they work things out, as long as it happens. At this point, she's even prepared to lock them in if she has to. "Thanks mom, I'm sure I'll need it." Just as she begins to turn, her mom grabs her arm gently. Harriet turns to her. "Your dad isn't the bad guy here, remember that. We've both made our fair share of mistakes that have led us to this point." She nods at her mom, understanding for the first time, that her parents are just as _human_ as everyone else. They're not _faultless_ and they had a _life_ before her.

Harriet gets out of the car and makes her way up to his expensive apartment. It looks like a penthouse suite, barely lived in because her dad spends most of his time at the hospital. The only time he really has free are the weekends, when he gets her and the twins. Harriet knocks on the door, hoping that her dad is here and didn't take on an extra shift at the hospital. "Dad, it's me, open up." She hears shuffling on the other side and the door opens. Her dad stands in front of her, with a surprised smirk on his face. "Hey, I wasn't expecting you today." Her dad looks around her and she watches confusion cloud his eyes. "Where's Gabe and Mary?" Harriet shakes her head. "It's just me today…I… need to talk to you about something." His eyes meet hers and she can see the sudden worry in his expression. "What's going on?" She looks at her dad with a frown. "I think we should talk about this inside." Her dad looks at her in confusion, before stepping aside and letting her in.

Harriet makes her way to the leather couch in the living room and her dad sits down next to her. He waits for her to start, giving her his undivided attention. She's glad that he's not shutting her out this time and is happy that he's taking her seriously for once. "Okay, before I start, I need to tell you that I've already talked to mom about _everything_." Her dad stares at her in confusion, his brow creasing dramatically. Harriet figures this is her cue to continue. "Everything, meaning that she told me your entire story from beginning to end." Her dad's eyes go wide and the room is completely silent for a few minutes. There's so many emotions crossing over her dad's face, that she can't seem to pinpoint the one he's actually feeling the most. His eyes finally reach hers. "What did she tell you?" Harriet stares at her father for a second, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice. "About how you first met at Mercy West, then moved on to Seattle Grace together during the merger, how you two were the best of friends, and then, how you um..you know…" Her dad nods, getting up from the couch and grabbing the back of his neck. Ever since she was little, her dad has always grabbed his neck, whenever he's feeling _a lot_ of frustration. He takes a second to get himself together, before looking her in the eyes. "Did you ask her to tell you?" Harriet nods her head cautiously. "Yeah, I thought it would help me piece together what went wrong between you two." The room is silent again, as her dad walks out of the living room and out of her sight.

As she waits, she hopes she hasn't sent him running scared. It's a good ten minutes, before her dad comes back, with a bottle of beer. "Are you okay, dad?" He looks up from his bottle and nods. "Yeah, I just needed something to get me through this conversation. I promise, nugget, I'll only have one tonight." Harriet nods, trusting her dad, knowing that he'd never abuse alcohol in front of her or otherwise. "Okay, I guess I'd like to know your take on what happened the night you broke up with mom the last time?" He nods, sighing loudly. "Your mom brought up marriage to me over dinner one night and I overreacted." Harriet waits for more, but it doesn't come.

He's only giving her little scraps, not at all like her mom, who gave her a complete perspective through her eyes. Her dad is no longer looking at her, instead he's staring at the roaring fire in the fireplace. "Anything else about that night, dad, like how you told mom that standing up in the barn was a mistake?" Her dad's head snaps to face her again, anger blazing within his eyes. "Is that what she told you?" Harriet nods, realizing that she's crossed some invisible line between them. She didn't mean to make him angry, but she's tired of him shutting her out and not giving her the pieces she needs to figure out how to fix him and her mom. "I can't believe she told you that, she knows that I didn't mean it." Harriet shakes her head. "No, dad, she actually thinks that you meant all of it…" She lets him take it all in for a few moments and she wonders why her parents are so bad at communicating. Is it because they are so different or because they just don't know how to talk to each other anymore without fighting? Harriet doesn't know, but she feels that she's getting to the root of their problem, which is _miscommunication_. Her dad's eyes suddenly soften and lock with hers. "What else did she say?" Harriet gives him a small smile. "Well, she did say that it broke her heart, when you told her that you didn't trust her anymore. Mom thought that she had proved that she'd never leave you again, especially after your trip to Montana." Her dad's eyes go wide. "She told you about Montana?" Harriet nods and her dad takes a long swig of beer.

Harriet waits for him to get himself together again, knowing how uncomfortable he must feel about her now knowing all their long-buried secrets. Her dad finally meets her eyes a few minutes later. "I never meant to hurt your mom, it's just…" Harriet finishes the sentence for him. "complicated, yeah, mom said the same thing to describe your relationship." Her dad nods and takes a seat next to her. His eyes find hers again. "Despite everything, I've never regretted standing up in that barn because I loved your mom then and I still do now…" Her dad lets that linger for a minute and she grabs his hand in support. It's what she did for her mom and it's what she'll do for her dad, too. "But, that doesn't change the fact that she left me, twice, without ever thinking about how _I_ was feeling. I can't just forgive her for that. Believe me, I've tried, but it's something that I can't get over." He looks away from her and she knows that he doesn't want to show her his weakness, his emotions. Her dad has always tried to appear strong to her and the twins, but he can't fool her now. His _pride_ is getting in the way again, just like it has, whenever it comes to things with her mom.

Harriet squeezes her dad's hand and he looks over at her. She can see his eyes glistening in the firelight. "Do you want to talk about Sam?" He's silent for a few seconds, trying to fight the tears. "Dad, I won't think your weak if you cry. I know you're only human and I know how much losing Sam killed you…" Harriet let's that sink in, before she feels her own tears start welling up in her eyes. "You're still a _hero_ to me, daddy. I know mom and the twins think the same thing. You don't have to be strong all the time." With that, a few tears start falling down her dad's cheeks and she's thankful. After a few moments, he manages to squeeze her hand. "Thank you, sweetie, I needed to hear that." She nods, and he looks at her for a moment, tears still within his eyes. "You remind me so much of your mom right now." Harriet nods at his words. "Is that a good thing or…?" Her dad nods his head and smiles slightly. "Yeah, it's a good thing. One of the things I've always loved about your mom is her _quiet strength_." Harriet loves seeing the _love_ in her dad's eyes, as he's talking about her mom.

It warms her heart and she's excited that her plan is working. "She was always easy to talk to, my best friend…and then she was more…" Harriet nods at his words. "Until…Samuel." She waits patiently for her dad to continue, trying to let him have the time he needs, to get his thoughts together. He takes a sharp breath in and locks eyes with her. "Your mom was always my rock, I leaned on her in the hard times and I thought I did the same for her, but…" Harriet sighs to herself. "She decided that what she needed was in Jordan and it hurt you." He gives her a little nod, taking another swig of his beer. "Your mom never thought about how I was feeling or how her leaving had broken me too." Harriet waits another few moments, watching her dad's eyes become glassy again. "I'm sorry, dad." He nods his head. "When she came back the first time, I was ready to forgive her, but she _chose_ to leave me again instead." She looks at her dad for a minute and realizes just how much her mom leaving had _broken_ him.

Harriet hadn't known that her dad had relied so much on her mom and she can see now, that not having her in that way in his life has made him closed off to others. It's hard for her to imagine her parents actually confiding and comforting each other, virtually doing what best friends and couples do. "Mom knows that she was wrong leaving you, but she can't take any of that back now. You need to find a way to forgive her and move forward, then maybe you can start trusting her again." Her dad gives her a smirk. "When did you become so smart?" Harriet gives him a smile back. "Right around the time, I decided to help put the broken pieces of your relationship with mom back together." Her dad gives her a nod.

He wipes the tears out of his eyes. "I'm so glad I have you and the twins, you're the best part of our broken relationship. I just wish Samuel was still alive." Harriet nods, letting the tears fall down her own cheeks. It's only the second time she's heard him say her older brother's name out loud, but she's thankful that he's starting to open up. She gives him a hug, just as she did for her mom, and he holds onto her tightly. "You know, mom wishes the same thing." The two sit like that, father and daughter, finally grieving over the missing member of their family together. Harriet hopes that this is the beginning of her parents mending their relationship and her family becoming whole again.


	7. Talk to Me

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Greys Anatomy". Thanks for all the supportive comments in the last chapter, I really appreciate it. This chapter will be quite interesting and I'm sure many of you will be excited for the upcoming chapter ahead. As always, thanks for following/favoriting and reading.

Chapter 7

Talk to Me

After her talk with her dad, Harriet calls her mom. She wants to set-up a time for them to meet, maybe a dinner. "Hi, mom." Harriet sits on the barstool by the kitchen counter. "Hey, nugget, is everything okay with your dad?" She takes a sharp breath in. "Yes and no, I think you two should sit down and talk about everything." It's silent on the other side of the phone and she taps her fingers, while waiting for her say something. "I would love to sit down with your dad, but…" Harriet sighs to herself. "But what, mom?" Another moment of silence and she's starting to feel frustrated. She hears her mom sigh loudly. "I'm…not sure it's a good idea." Harriet feels like she's been slapped in the face. "What are you talking about, I thought you were the one that wanted to fix things with him?" The silence comes again, and Harriet is getting tired of it. "Mom!" She hears the twins in the background laughing and probably distracting her mom from the conversation, as always. "Has your dad agreed to this?" Harriet shakes her head, feeling anger rise up inside of her. "Yes, mom, he wants to talk. Now, please meet him at your favorite Italian Restaurant at seven. I'll babysit the twins." With that, she ends the call and feels like throwing it against the wall. Her mom is acting like a scared little child and she wonders if they'll even get anything accomplished tonight.

Harriet finds her dad sitting on the couch, staring blankly at a football game on T.V., looking defeated. She knows that he's probably embarrassed about showing so much emotion to her earlier, even though she had told him not to feel that way. "Dad, are you okay?" He takes a few moments, before he turns to her. "I'm fine, did you talk to your mom?" Harriet nods her head. "Yes, and she'll meet you at that Italian Restaurant she loves." He nods and sighs to himself. "I don't want you getting your hopes up, your mom and I have a lot to talk about." Harriet gives him a sad smile. "I know, dad, but I'm happy that at least you're trying." He gives her a sad smirk, before patting the couch seat next to him. Harriet smiles and makes her way over to the couch. She settles in and turns to him. "Mom sounded nervous about talking to you tonight, so go easy on her." Her dad nods. "I'll try." The two watch the game quietly and Harriet hopes that her parents figure things out tonight, for everyone's sake.

Harriet takes a sharp breath in, before opening the front door to her house. It's six o'clock and she knows that this is the time the twins usually eat dinner, so she walks into the kitchen. Harriet sees her mom rushing around, two bowls of mac and cheese, steaming in her hands. Harriet rushes over and grabs them. Her mom turns to her, looking like she's distracted, and she knows why. "Mom, let me take these and you worry about getting ready for tonight." Harriet sees the fear within her eyes and gives her mom a smile. "Don't worry about tonight, I'm sure everything's going to go alright." Her mom nods hesitantly and makes her way over to the twins, sitting at the table. Gabe smiles at her. "Where are you going, mommy?" Her mom gives him a kiss on the top of his head. "I'm going to dinner with daddy." Her little brother stares at her mom like she's talking in another language. "But, you and daddy don't like each other." Harriet turns to her little sister and her heart drops. She can't imagine how confusing this must be for them. All they've ever seen is their parents either fighting or not talking to each other at all. At least, she's seen her parents happy. Harriet turns to her mom and the look on her face breaks her heart. She sees her sadness turn into determination and she knows her mom is in soldier mode now. "I love your dad, munchkins, remember that." She gives them both a kiss on the top of their heads and turns to her with a smile, before making her way out of the kitchen. Harriet hears her go upstairs and she smiles to herself, hoping that her newfound determination won't waver, once she sees her dad at the restaurant.

An hour later, Harriet puts on a movie for the twins and sits on the couch with them. Normally, she wouldn't watch a movie with them like this, but after what happened earlier, she can't help but want to be here for them. Harriet knows that they probably don't understand anything that's going on between their parents, so she ignores her hatred for cartoons. Within minutes, she feels one of them tug on her shirt. She looks down at Gabe, who has that curious look on his face. "Is mommy and daddy going to be like other mommy's and daddy's who live with each other?" Her heart clenches at his question and she wraps her arm around him, pulling him tight to her side. "I hope so." Harriet feels Mary snuggle into her other side and she pulls her in too. The three sit together, wishing for the same thing, that their parents get back together and their family finally be whole.

The front door slamming, wakes her up. Her heart is pounding in fear, as her mom comes rushing in. "How did it go?" Her mom shakes her head. "Ask your dad, he's probably outside still." With that, her mom makes her way up the stairs and there's a knock on the door. The twins are sleeping on top of her, so she gently gets up from the couch. Harriet quickly grabs a blanket and drapes it over them, before heading to the front door. "April, open the door." Harriet unlocks the top lock, which was done curtesy of her mom, and opens the door. Her dad's eyes widen, when he sees her standing there. "What is going on, dad?" He shakes his head. "Your mom and I talked, but I told you not to get your hopes up." Harriet shakes her head and lets him in. She closes the front door and turns back to him. "What did you do?" Harriet can see the anger flash within his eyes. "I didn't do anything, your mom and I had a…disagreement about something." Here we go again, he's shutting her out. "I need more than that. What happened at the restaurant?" Her dad shakes his head and grabs the back of his neck, his eyes lock with hers. "She saw Matthew there with his wife and kids." Harriet's heart stops, and her eyes go wide.

Her dad waits for her to say something, but she can't seem to find the words. "Before he came over, your mom asked me not to tell him that we weren't married anymore. When I asked her why, she said that she was ashamed of our marriage not working out and she didn't want Matthew looking down on her for it." Harriet nods her head because she knows how her mom is. Religion has always been important to her and she knows how important it is to Matthew based on what her mom had told her about him. "So, I'm guessing that when he came up to the table, you ended up telling him that you were divorced, right? I'm sure mom was pissed about that." Her dad nods at her words. "She stormed out and left me sitting there with Matthew. I tried to call her coming over here, but she's dodging my calls." Harriet shakes her head, feeling more frustration than she's ever felt before. "Dad, you need to fix this, before you let all three of your kids down." His eyes meet hers and she can see the realization wash over him. Her dad nods and makes his way upstairs.

Harriet follows behind and when she reaches the top of the stairs, she watches her dad knock on the door. "Go away, nugget. I don't feel like talking right now." Her heart clenches at the sadness she hears in her mom's voice. She knows that she's crying and wishes she could comfort her, but there's only one way to really help her mom. Harriet makes her way down the hall and stands next to her dad. "Mom, I just want to talk to you for a second, please open up." She holds her breath, for a few moments, before her mom opens the door. Her eyes immediately fall on her dad and she can see her sadness turn into anger. "Did you put her up to this, Jackson?" He shakes his head. "No, I just want to talk about what happened, figure it all out." Her mom shakes her head and she knows that she's about to close the door in his face. So, before she can, Harriet pushes him in and quickly slams the door. She takes out her cell and presses the lock button. Harriet is glad that her mom had a state of the art security system put in when the twins were born because now their locked in.


	8. All Locked In

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Greys Anatomy". This is the chapter everyone has been waiting for and I had so much fun writing it. I decided for the next two chapters, to write first in April's POV and then in the next chapter, write in Jackson's POV. For those of you wanting to hear from Harriet's POV again, don't worry, because I will switch back to her afterwards. As always, thanks for following/favoriting and commenting.

Chapter 8

All Locked In

April beats on the bedroom door repeatedly. "Harriet, open this door right now, missy." She feels anger build up inside of her and she knows she's about ready to explode. This really couldn't be worse. Right now, she's locked in here with her ex-husband, with no way to get out because she left her damn purse downstairs with her cell phone in it. April is really starting to regret ever having this alarm installed here in the first place. "She's not coming back, April." She pounds on the door one last time and then sighs deeply. Of course, Jackson would be absolutely calm during this impossible situation, just like he always is. No outward emotion, which means no weakness. April knows exactly how he operates, as she turns around and glares at him. "Did you put her up to this?" Jackson shakes his head. "No, April, I didn't. Why would you think that?" She shakes her head and feels all the pent-up anger she's been feeling since the divorce, completely taking her over. "Oh, I forgot, you've never done anything wrong because your Jackson Avery, world class freaking surgeon." April puts her hands up and Jackson gives her that glare that he's mastered over the years.

The look in his eyes should make her back down, but she won't. April refuses to play the victim this time. Jackson stands up from the bed. "Not all of this is my fault, you've never done anything wrong either. Not when you left me to go to Jordan, twice, or when you decided not to tell me about being pregnant with Harriet before I signed those divorce papers. We've both made mistakes here, April, but at least I've owned up to them." April takes a few steps towards him and stops mere inches from his face. "And I haven't? Do you realize, how many times I've apologized to you about everything? I'm sorry, I wasn't there for you when you needed me. Would you finally believe it, if I told you how terrible of a wife I was to you or would you continue to punish me for it?" April feels her heart pounding within her chest, but she doesn't care at the moment. She's on a roll and she doesn't want to stop. "I hate this Jackson, I hate fighting with you, I hate that we're not raising our children together, and I hate that you…don't love…me…anymore." The anger dissolves into tears and she hates herself for it.

Jackson's eyes soften and April's heart aches at the sight. "What makes you think I don't love you anymore?" April shakes her head at his words. "If you still loved me, you'd finally forgive me and fight for me, for once in your life." She turns away, not able to face him any longer, and feels him grab her by the arm. Jackson turns her around to face him and the look within his eyes is now a mixture of anger and sadness. "I stood up in the middle of a barn for you, I was willing to give you a second chance after you left me to go to Jordan, and I went to dinner tonight to fight for you. The last two times I've tried, April, you've messed it up by running away." She feels like he's just stabbed her through the heart and she hates him in this moment. "Just because you don't run away in the physical sense, doesn't mean you don't run away from me emotionally. For once, I would love for you to open up to me and tell me how you feel, instead of shutting me out." April can feel herself exploding inside like a volcano and her heart hammering away within her chest. The look in Jackson's eyes is driving her crazy and she feels like throwing something at him right now. Anything to make him talk, say something.

Jackson shakes his head and puts his hand on the back of his neck. Their eyes connect, and she can see the pain and frustration within them now. "Alright, let's start with what happened tonight. You completely overreacted and ran away from me again." She shakes her head. "I told you not to tell Matthew about our…situation. I'm already embarrassed enough about it, especially since we've had three children, each born after our marriage ended." Jackson's eyes grow angry. "Why do you care what he thinks?" April backs away from him, creating some necessary distance between them, wanting nothing more than to magically get the hell out of this room. "Answer me, April." She glares at him across the room. "I care because I know what he's thinking. Poor, April, she's a single mother of three with a life _she chose_ the day she ran off with her ex-husband out of that barn. I could see the pity in his eyes, when you told him about our divorce and I knew that he was thinking about the _perfectly normal life_ I could have had if I chose _him_." The look that comes over Jackson's face breaks her heart in two.

He takes a few steps towards her and his eyes lock with hers. April can feel the ache in her chest, as Jackson stops mere inches from her. "Do you regret running off with me that day?" April shakes her head quickly. "No, Jackson, I'd _never regret_ that. I ran that day because you fought for me and opened up your heart. I miss my best friend, the man that loved _all of me_ …" At this point, she trails off and the tears start falling down her cheeks. She can feel Jackson wrap her up in his arms, but she barely registers it. April is tired of fighting for him, tired of all of this. All they seem to do is go around and around, each round worse than the last. April will always love this man that's holding her so tightly right now. If all of this has taught her anything, it's that she _couldn't stop_ loving him if she tried. "Do you regret it, Jackson? You told me once that you did, but I want to know now, if that was the truth?" A few moments pass, and April prays that he answers her.

She feels his warm breath on top of her hair and relishes in the fact that he's so close. April inhales his familiar scent, as his warm breath trails down to her ear. "I don't regret it, April. Not only because you're the mother of my three amazing kids, but because _I love you_. You've always been the one, no matter how far I've run from you." April feels the tears continue to fall, as she squeezes him, as tightly as she can to her. The two sit like that, entwined together, making the first step to mending their broken relationship. April knows that they still have a lot to talk about, but she's happy that they're on their way back to each other.


	9. Under the Surface

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Greys Anatomy". This chapter takes a left turn, but I promise you, it's all part of their journey in finding a way to forgive each other. The last chapter was round 1, now onto round 2. I'm trying to make this as realistic as I can for everyone, which means that emotions are everywhere and can change at any moment. As always, thanks for following/favoriting this story and reading. I hope you continue to enjoy it.

Chapter 9

Under the Surface

Jackson holds April, happy that she's letting him, after everything they've been through, everything _he's_ done. When April finally pulls back from him, his heart clenches, when he sees her red rimmed eyes. "I want to know if you're _serious_ about fixing this, _us_?" April locks eyes with him and his brow furrows in confusion. "What do you mean by 'serious'?" Jackson watches April's eyes go wide. "I mean that you weren't really _trying_ the last time we went to therapy. I just don't want to go through all that again, if you're not serious about it." Jackson feels anger rise up inside of him and he's not sure how to defuse it. It seems like every time he fights with April, he ends up angry and confused by the end of it. He knows that he loves her, but it's never seemed to be enough to trump all their other problems.

Jackson balls his fists, trying to remain in control of his roiling emotions. "What have I done to make you think I'm not serious about this?" She shakes her head. "Oh, come on Jackson. You and I both know, that when your heart isn't in something 100%, you deflect everything I say and shutdown." He stares at her, not liking the words that just came out of her mouth. "So, I chose to disagree with you and you considered that shutting down?" April gives him a nod and he feels like he's losing control.

She sighs, and her eyes meet his. "It's not that you chose to disagree with me, Jackson, it's that you didn't _stick_ with it." Jackson throws his hands up in the air, feeling complete frustration from this situation. "Therapy wasn't working for us and it won't work _now_." April takes a few steps towards him and he can see the anger within her eyes blazing. "How do you know it won't work? Just because you deemed it unsuccessful the last time, doesn't mean that it will be this time. Please Jackson, just put everything you have into this and stop fighting me on it." Her words linger through the room for a few tense moments.

Jackson can't help but feel irritated that she's telling him what's best for them. "I'm not going to pay someone to tell me how to fix my marriage, when I don't _agree_ or _believe_ in what their saying." He watches April stand a little straighter and knows that she's _pissed_ at him. "So, what you're really saying is, you don't want to get married to me because you don't agree with how I view marriage or believe in my convictions?" The room goes quiet and he holds her angry gaze for a few moments, feeling like they're at a crossroads here. Truth be told, they've been at the same crossroads a few times before, but something about this feels different.

Jackson can't put his finger on it, as a knock on the door reverberates through the room. "Have you two made up yet?" He knows exactly what April's going to say before she says it. "Yes, we've made up, now let us out, Harriet Kepner-Avery." Jackson's eyes look over at the door, hoping that she lets them out. "Is that true dad, or is mom just trying to get out?" Jackson takes a sharp breath in and sighs. April turns to him and shakes her head. As usual, she knows what's he's thinking. "I take the silence as a no. I'll be back to check-up on you two later. Now, talk and work it out." He hears her walk away from the door. "Why didn't you just lie about it, since you're so keen on avoiding everything that has to do with this relationship?" Jackson's head whips over to look at her. He can't believe that she's saying this to him, wanting him to lie to their daughter. "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't trying to fix our relationship." April closes the gap and he can see the sheer frustration overcome her. "But who are you fixing this for Jackson, you or the kids?" Jackson feels the flames consume him.

He takes another step closer. "I'm doing this for all of us, including _you_." April shakes her head at him and sighs loudly. "If we do this, you have to agree to do counseling, with me and the kids. We obviously can't fix things on our own and we both have no idea where to start. It's like, we take two steps forward and then two giant steps back. We have too many things that are simmering _under the surface_ and maybe the therapist can help us talk about those things." Jackson doesn't want to relent, but he knows that it's the only way they'll be able to leave this room and hopefully move forward.

He sighs to himself and then shakes his head. "I'll do counseling and I promise that I'll give it 100% this time." April nods, giving him a nod, but there's no trace of a smile. Jackson's surprised that she's not happier that he's trying to save their relationship. He watches her walk across the room and sit against the bedroom door, creating space between them. Jackson can't help but wonder if they'll ever fix their relationship completely. It's hard for him to comprehend how they both were confessing their love only an hour ago and now they seem like they're a million miles away from each other. Jackson takes a seat on the bed and stares at April Kepner, knowing that he has a lot of work ahead of him to make things right. For them, for their kids, and for _her_.


	10. A Fresh Start

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Greys Anatomy". This chapter will take place right after April and Jackson's talk in their room and will be from Harriet's POV. I hope everyone is still enjoying this story. As always, thanks for following/favoriting and commenting.

Chapter 10

A Fresh Start

Harriet puts her ear to the door, trying to hear something. She hasn't heard any screaming or even mumbled talking, in the last few minutes. It's so quiet, she's beginning to think, her mom and dad have magically disappeared. "Are you two alive in there?" Harriet waits a few moments, before she hears shuffling on the other side. "We're still alive." says her mom. "If you're both still alive, does that mean you've worked everything out?" A long pause follows, and Harriet takes that as a bad sign. She hears more shuffling across the floor. "Harriet, your mom and I have agreed to go to therapy and try to work things out." Harriet feels doubt flood her. "Mom, you told me the last time, that therapy didn't work for you and dad, what makes you think it'll work this time?" She finds herself holding her breath, while waiting for her answer. Her mom had told her that her dad _hadn't tried_ the last time and that's what scares her. "I know your dad and when he makes a promise, he always manages to keep it." Another moment of quiet follows and she feels her heart accelerating in anticipation of what her dad will say next.

Harriet hears her dad sigh on the other side of the door. "I know I didn't keep my promise to your mom, but I want to make it up to her, and to _you_." She can't help but smile at her dad's words and prays that he really means them. "You've got to trust us, nugget." adds her mom. Harriet takes a breath, before reaching into her jean pocket, and pressing the disarm button on her phone. "You can come out now." It only takes seconds, for the door to burst open, and her parents to emerge. Her mom shakes her head. "Don't ever do that again." Harriet gives her mom a nod. "Don't give me a reason to." With that, she turns away from her mom's glare and looks over at her dad, whose expression is unreadable. "I'm sorry, dad, but it was the only way, I could get you both in one room." Her dad touches his neck in frustration. "Next time, let your mom and I handle our own relationship." Harriet nods, figuring that she should keep her mouth shut right about now, but knowing that they wouldn't have been able to even to go to therapy, if it wasn't for her locking them in.

Harriet turns to her mom and sees disappointment within her eyes. "Your dad and I will figure this all out, but you have to promise, that you'll let us do that on our _own_." Harriet nods, knowing that she's put them in the right direction, to fix their relationship. "Okay, I'm officially out of it. I'll just go downstairs and watch a movie." Her mom nods and she feels her dad's eyes follow her down the stairs. Harriet wishes her parents were more grateful that she had helped them, rather than disappointed. She settles on the couch and snuggles up with a blanket. Harriet picks out a movie and falls asleep somewhere in the middle of it.

When she wakes up, it's to the sound of arguing. She rubs her eyes and makes her way to the kitchen. "We need to figure this out, Jackson. I don't want to disappoint our children anymore. You saw how desperate Harriet was to get us to talk." Harriet leans against the other side of the archway, leading into the kitchen. "I know, she reminded me of you, tonight." She can't see her mom's face right now and it's killing her not to see her reaction. "No, Jackson, that's all you. Putting me into a position and then forcing me to make a decision." The room is quiet, and she winces at her mom's words. Hopefully, her dad doesn't take what her mom just said too badly. "Harriet doesn't give up on anything, even if it seems like a lost cause. I admire that about her and _you_." Another few moments pass and she's glad, that her dad didn't turn this into another fight. She can tell that her mom is scared to fix things or maybe she's scared that things won't turn out right between them? Harriet can't blame her for being afraid, considering how many times, she's tried to work through everything, only for him not to _try._

She holds her breath, waiting for one of them to speak again. A few minutes tick by, before she hears footsteps walking across the kitchen. "Do you want a beer?" her mom asks. Harriet looks over at the clock and sees that it's in the middle of the night. She's seen her mom and dad drink before, but never at this hour. "I'll take one." Harriet hears more footsteps walking through the kitchen and a chair sliding against the floor. She figures their sitting at the kitchen bar. "Thanks." says her dad. Then, the sound of two beer bottles opening, fills her ears. It makes Harriet feel uneasy. "Did you mean what you said earlier?" More silence and she's getting tired of it. She wishes more than anything. that they could spill everything at once, instead of making _her_ wait.

Sometimes, Harriet sees her parents' relationship as a bad soap opera. "What?" She tries to imagine her mom and dad sitting at the kitchen bar, staring awkwardly at each other. "Do you really admire that I never give up on anything, because I've always thought you hated that about me?" A tense moment follows, but she knows the tension _isn't bad_ this time. "I don't hate that about you, April, I never have. I just think, that we've both given up on each other in the past, and lost sight of those two qualities, we seem to both admire in each other." Harriet smiles at the sincerity in her dad's words, thinking that maybe, this is the fresh start they've all been dreaming of. She decides to sneak a peek, praying that her parents don't turn around and catch her eavesdropping. Harriet spots her mom and dad holding hands quietly. Her smile grows even wider. "Let's promise, that we use those qualities, to try to figure out how to forgive each other." Harriet can see her dad smile at her mom. "'Me and you'." Her heart warms at her dad's words and she can only imagine how her mom feels right now. "'Me and you'." With that, Harriet leaves them to finish their conversation. She makes her way back upstairs, with the biggest grin she's probably ever had in her entire life.


	11. Dissecting a Problem

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Greys Anatomy". I've decided to switch between April and Jacksons' POV for the next two chapters again. I think its best if their varied prospectives are both shown, when working with a therapist to sort out their issues. As always, thanks for following/favoriting and commenting.

Chapter 11

Dissecting a Problem

April takes a seat in the therapist's office, a week after they had decided to try and work things out. Her nerves are heightened right now and have been for the last few days. April feels her heart begin to thump wildly within her chest and she decides to turn to see if Jackson is as on edge as she is. To an outside perspective, his expression is blank, but to her, he seems to be a little anxious. Jackson is trying not to pack his feelings away, but she can literally see the inner battle he's having with himself. She knows he's trying and hopes that his want to fix their relationship will win over that other side of him that's telling him to walk away from his feelings for her. April knows she has to do something. So, she does the only thing she can think of, to help him stop running away from her emotionally. She grabs his hand in hers.

The instant warmth that electrifies her whole body makes her heart skip a beat, as she watches Jackson's eyes shift to hers. April notices that the foggy look he just had a few moments ago is now gone and she breathes a sigh of relief. She gives him a small smile, just as the therapist walks into the off lobby. As they follow him to his office, April feels her nervousness intensify, but Jackson soon reassures her that everything will be okay, when he squeezes her hand. She steals a quick glance at him and can't help but give him a smile for showing that he's there with her and won't run this time. When they get to the office, they sit on a comfortable couch. "Hello, I'm Dr. Hanson, you must be Jackson and April Avery." April's breath catches, and she quickly shakes her head. "Oh, we're not married, but we were at one time." Dr. Hanson nods at her words. "I see, do you have any children?" Jackson squeezes her hand a second time. "Three." Dr. Hanson nods and April feels like she's about to have a heart attack. "So, I assume, you're both co-parenting your children." April nods her head. "Yes, we have a set schedule, where I have our children during the week, and he has them on weekends." Dr. Hanson jots all this down on a notepad and April feels like her hearts about to pound outside of her chest.

April watches, as Dr. Hanson looks up from his notepad, and gives them both a smile. "Are you here because of issues you're having co-parenting or are you working on your relationship to better it?" April feels her stomach twisting inside out. "We're attempting to work on our relationship, but it's a bit…complicated." She suddenly feels Jackson stiffen next to her and she looks over at him. "You could say, that we've had a long and bumpy ride together, since we met." Dr. Hanson gives another nod. "I see and on this difficult ride together, what would you say, was the biggest bump?" April feels a sharp pain go through her heart, as the name comes off her lips. "Samuel." Dr. Hanson jots that down and April suddenly feels like she's being dissected, cut open like one of her many patients, she's performed surgery on. "Can you tell me who Samuel was in relation to you?" April's heart stops at her question and there's a silence that fills the room.

A few moments tick by, before Jackson shifts in is chair uneasily. "He _was_ our son." April notices pity appear in Dr. Hanson's eyes and her heart aches at the sight. "I'm sorry for your loss, it must have been incredibly difficult to deal with. I see many couples come in here to talk about losing a child and the devastating impact it has on their respective relationships. Was losing your son the reason why you divorced?" April gives her a nod. "Yes, neither one of us knew how to handle it. I grieved by leaving to serve as a Trauma Surgeon in Jordan…" She stops, feeling her heart clench, at the mention of that difficult time in her life. "And you, Jackson?" April finds herself holding her breath, waiting for his answer. "I stayed here in Seattle to take care of my patients. I had a responsibility to them and I thought that April would come back to stay after the first tour." April sneaks a peek at Dr. Hanson, who's writing furiously on his notepad, and she takes that as a bad sign.

When he stops writing and looks up, he locks eyes with Jackson. "You mentioned that you _thought_ she'd come back after the first tour. Does that mean that she decided to stay for a second tour?" April turns to look over at Jackson. "Yeah, she did." The room is silent again for several moments, the only sound that can be heard, is the ticking clock, right on the wall behind Dr. Hanson. "How did that make you feel, Jackson?" April prays that he succeeds in opening up to her completely this time. She can see the sudden anger mixed with sadness within his eyes and her heart aches at the sight. "It made me feel…angry, that I wasn't what she _needed_ to heal." Dr. Hanson nods at his words. "Did you resent her for it?" Jackson gives her a definitive nod and April's heart breaks a little more. "So, I gather, that the two of you divorced shortly after?" April is finally able to get herself to say something. "Yes, Jackson and I couldn't work things out, so we decided to end our marriage." Even after all this time, her heart still aches, at the reality of their failed marriage. She never in a million years would have foreseen how disastrous their marriage would turn out to be and the subsequent pain that they'd put each other through.

When they had gotten married in Lake Tahoe and April had looked into Jackson's mesmerizing eyes, she had seen their whole life together play out. They had a couple of children, two girls and two boys, and they were _happy_. Losing a child and going through the subsequent hell afterwards was never even a remote possibility. In a way, April figures it's her fault for foolishly believing that everything between them, would magically be perfect and magical. "April, are you still with us?" Her head whips over to look at Dr. Hanson and she nods. "Sorry, I didn't mean to space out, but it's hard for me to talk about everything that's happened between us?" Dr. Hanson jots a few more notes down on paper and his eyes lock with hers. "I can understand how overwhelming this all must be for you, but I need you to try to focus. I can't help you, if your mind is elsewhere." April nods at his words. "Now that we're all on the same page, I want to ask you both one last question." Dr. Hanson looks down at his notepad for a few seconds, before looking back up at them. "Can you please both tell me why you want to fix your relationship and what you'd like your relationship to look like after you've completed therapy?" The room is quiet again for a few moments.

April knows that they've already agreed that they'd try and work things out romantically, but she's curious of how exactly he pictures that. Will he move back in immediately or will he stay in his apartment until he knows things will work out? How is he planning on handling their children when it comes to their renewed romantic relationship, especially Gabe and Mary? At this point, she doesn't know what he's thinking and it's driving her nuts. "I'd ultimately like to get back together with April and raise our kids together, but I picture us only succeeding at that, if we try and become best friends again." April watches Dr. Hanson's eyes look over at Jackson in surprise. "You didn't mention you were best friends, I find that quite fascinating, considering how vastly different you both seem from each other." Jackson gives her a nod. "We became best friends after our two mutual friends Reed and Charles died during the shooting at the hospital." The buzzer on Dr. Hanson's cell phone fills the air and she gives them both a smile. "I'm afraid, our time is up for today, but I'd like to delve deeper into your relationship before you got together. I believe that if we break down your relationship into three stages, we'll be able to examine each thoroughly." His eyes shift to hers.

Her heart feels like it's about to burst outside of her chest, waiting for him to ask the same dreaded question. "April, I'd like to quickly hear about how you see your relationship after you've completed therapy." She gives him a nod. "I'd also like for us to find the friendship that originally brought us together and slowly mend our relationship. I don't see us living together, until we completely work everything out, and trust each other again." Dr. Hanson closes his notepad and looks up to give her and Jackson a bright smile. "I think that I can help you both achieve the relationship you both want to have. It won't be easy, but it appears that you both value the same thing in your relationship, and that's what we'll focus on in the next session." April manages a smile and nods, both thankful that it's over and that they're finally getting the help they need from Dr. Hanson.


	12. Fortitude

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Greys Anatomy". This chapter will feature Jackson's thoughts regarding the Therapy Session they have just experienced. As always, thanks for following/favoriting and commenting.

Chapter 12

Fortitude

On the car ride home, Jackson wonders if silence is what he needs to expect, from now on. April hasn't said a word to him since they left the office and he's not sure if he may have revealed _too much_ at their session. He takes a sharp breath in, as he stops at a stoplight. "I hear you breathing from over here, what is it, Jackson?" His eyes snap over to hers and they lock for a brief moment. Sometimes, he forgets how well she can read him, how well she knows him. Even if the two are estranged, like they have been for the last few years, she still knows, what he's thinking and feeling. It's unnerving to him most of the time, but right now, he's happy that she knows him so well. "Did I do something wrong at the therapy session?" The light turns green before she can answer him and he continues driving down the busy road. "No, Jackson, you didn't do anything wrong. I just hate the fact that part of you still _resents_ me." He grips the steering wheel. "And I hate the fact that you can't lean on me the way I _need_ to lean on you." The car goes silent for a few tense minutes, before he hears April's familiar contagious laugh fill the air.

Jackson turns to April, trying to read her, but he's even more confused, when she grabs onto his arm. His brow furrows, as they stop at another stoplight. "Look at us, Jackson, we're a mess, but at least we're a mess _together_." Despite the situation, he smirks to himself, loving how close she is to him right now. Truth be told, he's missed moments like these over the years, just the two of them, enjoying each other's company. As the light turns green, Jackson feels April snuggle into his neck, and his smirk grows wider. "Thank you for trying today. It means more to me than you know." His heart warms at her words and he knows that he's nowhere near forgiven for all that he's done, but he enjoys the moment their sharing anyways.

Another fifteen minutes pass, before they pull into their driveway, and Jackson turns to look at April. She's still tucked into his shoulder, snoring lightly, and he can't help but smirk. He leans down near her ear and whispers. "April." When she doesn't stir, he lifts his head up, and notices all three of their children peeking out at them. Jackson decides to try again. "April, our children are watching us from the window." After a few seconds, she looks up at him, and then lifts her head. She peers over at the window and her eyes go wide. April takes her cell phone out and sees the time. "The twins should be asleep, what are they still doing up?" Jackson shakes his head. "I don't know, but we should probably get in there." April nods and just as he starts to get out of the car, she grabs his arm.

Jackson turns to her and he can see the fear in her eyes. "I think we should keep our therapy sessions between us for now, even if a certain daughter of ours, starts asking us a bunch of questions?" He shakes his head. "Why do you want to keep it from them?" April's eyes lock with his and his heart drops at the sadness that appears there. "I just don't want to get their hopes up." Jackson feels confusion and a little frustration wash over him. Does she distrust him that much to make this work? Instead of picking another endless fight, he decides to just nod his head. April squeezes his arm and gives him a weary smile. "Great." With that, she lets go of his arm, and he gets out of the car. Jackson hopes that she somehow finds a way to forgive him and that he can do the same for her.

As they walk up the driveway and towards the front door, Jackson sees their children duck out of sight, when his eyes land on them. He smirks at how invested they are in his relationship with April and how much their relying on things working out between them. Jackson realizes that April was right about not getting their hopes up, even though, he's going to try everything in his power to make things right between them. When April reaches the door, she turns and gives him a reassuring smile, letting him know that she's trying to fix them too. He gives her a nod and her smile disappears, as she opens the door, and walks into the house. "What are you two munchkins still doing up?" The twins both point to Harriet and say in unison. "She made us do it?" Jackson tries to suppress a smile from appearing on his face, as he turns to Harriet.

His daughter gives him a nervous smile in return and huddles her siblings together, holding them both by the shoulders. "We're actually just about to go to bed, right?" Harriet looks at her brother and sister for help. "Mommy, daddy, she's lying." says Mary. Gabe starts jumping up and down. "She told us she didn't want to miss you coming home and that we could have cookies if we were really quiet." He holds up his little fingers, covered in smudged chocolate chips, and Jackson shakes his head. "Well, we'll be going upstairs now." He watches his daughter begin to make her way to the stairs, with the twins in tow. "Hold it right there, young lady." Harriet stops and reluctantly turns to her mother with a guilty look on her face.

Jackson looks over at April and knows she's angry. She's always been the type of person that likes order, especially when it comes to their children. "You're grounded for two weeks, no phone, internet, or T.V. Your father and I trusted you to babysit the twins and part of that responsibility was getting them to bed on time." He watches his daughter squirm under her mother's punishment. "We appreciate that you want us to get back together, but you need to give it some time." he adds. Harriet nods her head at him and turns back to her mother. "One more thing." Jackson looks over at April, who walks over to couch in the living room, and lifts one of the seat cushions. She grabs an empty box of cookies and holds it up to their daughter. "Next time you want to hide junk food from us, pick another spot. You've been hiding things here since you were five." He stands there with a smirk on his face and is once again reminded how amazing a mother she is to their children. Jackson makes a mental note to remind her of that, now that their working on their relationship. "Now, go to bed. I'll make sure that the twins are tucked in tonight." With that, Harriet nods and disappears upstairs.

Jackson hears April sigh and he turns to see her plopping down on the couch. He can't hide his smile, as April looks up at him in exasperation. "When did our children start doing whatever they wanted?" He shakes his head and sits down next to her on the couch. "Right around the time they were born." April whips her head and he can see the annoyance within her eyes. "Come on, Jackson. They weren't acting like this before today." He folds his arms across his chest. "I think you scared Harriet enough tonight, that she won't try it again." April lies her head back on the couch. "I hope so or we're going to have a bigger problem to deal with." Jackson puts his hand on her arm and their eyes lock. "Hey, it'll be fine." She nods and he can see a range of emotion swirling within her eyes. There's words unspoken, and he hopes that they can find a way, to finally speak them out loud.


	13. Parents and Rules

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Grey's Anatomy". This chapter will pick-up with Harriet's P.O.V and her reaction at her parents' refusal to tell her anything regarding their therapy session. I just want to take the time to tell all of you how appreciative I am for continuing to follow this story. I love Japril and hope that their future post series will look something like this. They deserve happiness after all they've been through. Thanks again, for following/favoriting and commenting.

Chapter 13

Parents and Rules

Harriet is lying in bed for the night, hating her life right now. Her parents had been _so_ unfair with her punishment and overreacted about the whole thing. They had punished her for _caring too much_ and that wasn't okay. Harriet should have known that her mom would ground her over this and that her dad would just stand by and say nothing. Usually, they punish them individually, depending on what day of the week it is. When her dad has her and the twins, he usually punishes them by giving one of his endless lectures. To her, it's enough of a punishment. Her mom, on the other hand, grounds them whenever they do something she "considers" wrong. Like tonight, for example. The rule about not letting the twins eat sweets without her mom giving it to them sparingly, is ridiculous. She hates that every other kid in America can have a cookie whenever they want, but Gabe and Mary can't. Harriet had the same rule as a child and she had asked once, why her mom had insisted on not letting her have sweets, whenever she wanted like her friends. She remembers the smile on her mom's face, when she had told her, that she wouldn't grow up big and strong, by eating sweets whenever she wanted. Harriet hadn't asked again, but she continued hating that rule, until her parents had trusted her enough, to make her own decisions about what food to eat. The very first decision she had made was eating a whole bag of candy, then feeling ashamed, and hiding it in her secret hiding place, under the couch cushion.

Harriet sighs, as she stares up at her ceiling fan, wishing her parents had told her _something_ about their appointment. Was it really too much to ask for? There's a knock on the door and she turns her head to look over at it. Harriet doesn't bother telling them to come in because they will no matter what she says. Her dad peeks in first and she's surprised that her mom isn't right behind him. She watches him walk over to her bed and sit down next to her. "How are you doing, nugget?" Harriet shakes her head. "Not too good, dad." Her dad shakes his head. "You know how your mom is and that you have to follow her rules." Harriet gives him a reluctant nod. "I know, but I thought it was okay to break the rules just once, especially tonight." Her dad let's out a sigh and rubs the back of his neck. "I'll talk to your mom, see if I can smooth things over." Harriet gives her dad a smile. "Thanks, daddy." He gives her a smirk. "I haven't heard you call me that in a long time." She gives him a nod. "Well, you're my favorite parent right now, so…" Her dad shakes his head and his smile disappears. "Hey, don't say that. Your mom loves you, just as much as I do. She only wants what's best for you and the twins." Harriet's jaw drops from his kind words about her mom.

She guesses she'll have to get used to her parents _actually_ talking about each other at all. Over the years, they hadn't really spoken about how they felt about each other, so it's a foreign concept to her. Hearing it now, makes her heart warm, and a smile come over her face. "So, I guess that means that your therapy session wasn't a total bust, then?" Her dad takes a sharp breath in. "Your mom and I have decided to keep our sessions just between us for a while. I'm sure it won't be long before Dr. Hanson asks you and the twins to come in for one." Harriet sighs to herself and sits up. "Why are you and mom being so secretive?" Her dad is just about to answer, when the door opens, and in comes her mom. She walks over to the end of her bed with a frown on her face and crosses her arms over her chest. Harriet knows that her mom hasn't cooled down any by the disappointment she sees in her eyes. "What do you have to say for yourself?" She shakes her head. "I'm sorry I care about you and dad." Her mom sighs to herself.

Harriet can practically see the smoke coming out of her ears. "I'm not mad that you cared about our first therapy appointment. I'm mad that you deliberately broke the rules and tried to hide it from us." Harriet turns to her dad for help, but he shakes his head. "I know you want to be an adult and that it sucks being stuck in the middle as a teenager, but you've got to follow the rules, nugget. I can't stress that enough. You're in charge, while we're away, and we _trust_ that you'll take care of the twins as an _adult_. Do you understand?" Harriet gives her a nod. "April, why don't we take a week off her grounding, maybe put her on probation? If she ends up breaking the rules, we'll ground her an extra two weeks, what do you think?" Harriet wishes she could hug her dad right now, but she turns to her mom instead.

A couple long minutes pass, before her mom nods. "Okay, your probation period starts now, but if you break our trust again, you heard what your dad said." Harriet nods at her words, not able to hide the smile, from her face. "Thank you, mom." Her mom shakes her head. "Don't thank me, thank your dad." She turns and surprises him with a hug. Harriet's thankful that he was able to convince her mom to lessen her punishment. When she pulls back, she turns to her mom, who's now standing at the end of her bed with a smile. Harriet decides that it's only fair to thank her mom as well, so she makes her way across the bed on her knees, and grabs her mom into a hug. She decides at this moment, that having her parents teaming up like this, isn't _so bad_ after all.


	14. Back to the Beginning

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Grey's Anatomy". This chapter will feature the second therapy session of our favorite couple and we'll go back to their roots. Their best friendship was the best element of their relationship and I think it's important for them to discuss it. As always, thanks for following/favoriting and commenting.

Chapter 14

Back to the Beginning

April settles herself onto the couch and Jackson joins her. Their proximity makes her heart beat rapidly, but she does her best to ignore it. Dr. Hanson sits across from them with a smile. "So, how has everything been going between you, since our last session together?" She exchanges a quick glance with Jackson and he gives her a smirk. April gives him a smile back and then turns her attention to Dr. Hanson. "It's been going great lately." Dr. Hanson gives her a nod. "Are you talking more openly about your relationship with one another?" Jackson grabs her hand and her breath catches at the contact. "I think we're starting to talk more." She watches Dr. Hanson jot down some notes and then look up at her. "April, how would you describe your best friendship, using three words?" April's heart warms at the question, having not thought about their friendship in a long time. She had loved every minute of being Jackson's best friend. Getting to know him, in a way, no one else ever would.

April can't help but smile at the memory of Jackson and her hanging out at the hospital together. They had talked about everything and leaned on _only_ each other. It had been a wonderful time in her life and she's always cherished it. "Beautiful, amazing, and…magical." She watches as he jots down some more notes and then meets her eyes. " _Magical_ is an interesting word to use, what made you select it?" April's smile widens. "I chose the word magical because that's how I perceived that time with Jackson. Everything between us was so new, so _simple."_ Dr. Hanson gives her a nod. "What made everything so simple between you?" She takes a moment to answer, wondering how best to proceed. "We were able to communicate and confide in each other. There was no baggage between us." Dr. Hanson gives her a nod. "I see, so you could communicate more openly with each other, when neither of you had any 'baggage' to work through together?" April gives him a nod and quickly glances at Jackson, who now has a deep frown on his face.

She immediately hates herself for making his handsome smile disappear. "Now that we've heard how April viewed your best friendship, I'm interested in hearing how Jackson perceived it?" She turns to look at Jackson again and he's touching the back of his neck anxiously. "Happy, safe, and _truthful._ " Her heart drops at the last word he had chosen. _Truthful_. April hates the thought of how their relationship had turned to one of distrust. "I'm curious about the last two words you chose, _safe_ and _truthful_. Those words are the building blocks of a successful relationship and I am happy that your relationship once provided safety and truthfulness for both of you. I think we can rediscover those two elements together and help rebuild things." April feels her heart lift at his words, but the uncertain look she sees on Jackson's face right now, causes an uneasiness, to form at the pit of her stomach.

Dr. Hanson writes down a few notes, before looking back over at Jackson. "Tell me a favorite memory you have of your best friendship?" Jackson sighs to himself, but April notices a tiny smirk forming. "I remember when April had won the title of Chief Resident and she had apologized to me because I didn't get it. She had put my feelings before herself and I had admired that about her. April's compassion for others is what drew me to want to be her best friend." Dr. Hanson jots new notes down and then looks over at her. "How do you feel about that?" April has no idea how to answer this question in the correct way, but she still gives it a try. "Truthfully, a little hurt, that he said it was something that _he had admired_ in the past tense." April avoids Jackson's eyes, as Dr. Hanson nods his head. "I see, so why do you think Jackson feels like it's a trait that you used to possess, but don't anymore?" April feels anger and hurt mix within her. She's not sure how to feel about this or utter the painful words that Dr. Hanson is trying to coax from her. Her eyes meet his. "I think it's because of what happened when our son died. He had pretty much insinuated that I had put my pain above his." Dr. Hanson gives her a nod. "Why didn't you put Jackson above your own feelings then?" Her breath catches, hating rehashing this particular topic. "I don't know… I guess I could _only see my pain_ at the time." April feels tears begin to fill her eyes, just as Jackson grabs her hand in his. He gives it a squeeze and she turns to face him.

For the first time in a long time, she can see actual understanding within his eyes, and his unwavering support that she's achingly missed. "April." She tears her focus away from Jackson and she turns to look at Dr. Hanson. "In the future, let's try to support each other through every obstacle, instead of trying to work through everything on your own. A marriage consists of two people working together. You have to trust each other with your thoughts and feelings." April gives him a nod, feeling more hopeful than she has in a long time. "Now, before our session concludes, I'd like to ask April her favorite memory?" She takes a breath and can't help but smile at the memory that flashes to her mind. "I was pretty upset at a party after a co-worker tried to make advances towards me and I ended up rejecting him. When Jackson had seen me openly crying to our boss, he came over, and took me to the side, to ask me what was wrong. Naturally, I told him everything, and I'll never forget how he beat the crap out of our co-worker to protect me. He had put everything on the line, his career and credibility as a surgeon, for _me_. I had always loved how protective Jackson was over me and the way he didn't judge me. He put me first then and I was grateful for it. It was that night, I realized just how close we had gotten, and that he really was my best friend." April turns to give Jackson a smile and he gives her hand another squeeze back.

April turns her attention back to Dr. Hanson. "Well, I find it interesting, that you both used examples where you put each other before yourselves. I think we should work on doing that and discuss more about it next week." April gives Dr. Hanson a nod and gets up from the couch to leave. Her heart gallops within her chest, when she realizes, that Jackson's warm hand is still holding her own. As they make their way out of the office, April feels the baggage that's been weighing their relationship down all these years, start unloading, allowing them to breath again.


	15. Best Friends

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Grey's Anatomy". This chapter will feature Jackson's POV directly after the relatively successful therapy session. Japril will start to get to know each other again slowly as friends and the best way to begin that process is getting a cup of coffee together. This will be a lighter chapter than the previous. As always, thanks for favoriting/following and commenting.

Chapter 15

Best Friends

Jackson can't help the smirk on his face, as he parks in front of the familiar coffee shop. He hasn't been back here since he was married to April, but he's missed this place. Jackson had first stumbled upon the coffee shop, when he had started working at Seattle Grace Mercy West. He was initially drawn to the place because of how close it was to the hospital, but as the years went by, it had become important because it was where he and April had _really_ talked for the first time. It was also where he first felt a _connection_ to her and had really _seen_ her. Not as the virgin surgeon who sometimes annoyed him and that he occasionally hung-out with, but for who she really was. A smart, beautiful, and passionate woman, who completely had stolen his heart. Jackson hadn't realized it at the time, but she was the only woman he'd ever truly love.

As they enter the shop, his eyes immediately find the table that he had first become best friends, with the red headed trauma surgeon beside him. The day had been difficult for both of them, considering it was the same day, as Charles and Reeds' funeral. Jackson had felt emotionally drained from the day and decided to grab a coffee to try to get his mind off everything. He had never been the type of guy to talk about his feelings and that's all anyone had wanted to talk about after the funeral. Jackson couldn't deal, so he found himself at this coffee shop.

They walk over to the counter and wait in line. Jackson turns to her. "Do you still like your coffee the same way?" She gives him a smile. "Yeah, I think the cappuccino with extra foam will always have my heart." Jackson watches as her eyes sparkle and hold his gaze. By the way she's looking at him, he knows that the cappuccino is a metaphor for him and he gives her a smirk back. "I'll order, you go find us a table." Her smile widens, before she walks towards their old table. Jackson remembers being surprised to find April sitting at that same table after the funeral. She had seemed distant during the service, only talking when she was asked to say a few words. April had barely made it through the speech he's sure she spent all-night writing and he had felt bad for her. While they weren't exactly close friends at that time, they still were friends by association, even though the people that had tethered them together were gone. Jackson had wanted to approach her after the funeral at Meredith's house, but he couldn't. He had no idea what to say to her or how to make it any better.

As he reaches the front of the line, he orders the two coffees, and walks over to the table. April gives him another smile and it warms his heart. He's happy to see her happy, after everything they've been through, over the last couple of years. Jackson puts April's cup of coffee on the table in front of her and then sits across from her. Her eyes lock with his. "Thank you." He gives her a nod and takes a sip of his coffee. Jackson's mind goes back to that day again, when his whole life had changed. He had sat right in this seat, waiting for her to look up, and notice he was there. Jackson had waited nearly an hour, before she had finally come out of her daze, and locked eyes with him. He could see the pain within her eyes and he couldn't explain why he had felt a pang in his heart for her. _They weren't that close_ , but seeing her destroyed, made him feel for _her_. "I haven't been back here since right before our divorce. Do you remember that day?" Jackson gives her a nod, his heart twisting at the memory. They had met for coffee the day before the divorce to talk about how the next day would go with their lawyers. At the time, Jackson had been steadfast in his decision to divorce her. He knew he wasn't happy in the marriage and that he had wanted out. Of course, April had come that day thinking that she could fix things, that he had already considered too broken to fix.

Jackson takes another sip of his coffee, her eyes still on him. "I wanted to save us that day because I _couldn't accept_ that things were over between us. _I wouldn't_." His eyes find hers and he can see the sadness within them. Jackson knows April well enough to know that she never would have given up on him, their marriage, if he hadn't asked her to. At the time, he hadn't seen how she had finally put him first, because he was so blinded by his own anger and resentment. "I know." He watches her take a sip of her coffee and place it back on the table with a frown. "I remember how closed off you were to me and how I couldn't reach you." Jackson hears her take a sharp breath in, before he reaches out to grab her hand in his. Her beautiful eyes lock with his. "I'm sorry I put my feelings above yours, I was hurt and angry at you. I regret it now." April gives him a nod. "I can't really blame you for it. I put my feelings above yours first." Jackson squeezes her hand and a silence follows.

After a few minutes, he decides to break the silence between them. "Do you remember when we first came here?" April gives him a nod. "It was the day of Charles and Reeds' funeral. I was feeling terrible, completely hopeless, and even questioning my faith. Then you came over and sat with me." April looks down at their hands interlaced together and smiles. Her eyes lock with his. "You were there for me, even though I wasn't talking right away, and I never said thank you for that." Jackson gives her a smirk. "I hated seeing you sitting here by yourself in so much pain. I figured that we both had lost our best friends and we needed each other." April gives him a nod and begins absently rubbing her thumb on the back of his hand. He can't help but smile at the contact. "I thought I knew you before that day, but I realized I didn't." says Jackson. April gives him an understanding nod. "I know what you mean. There were things that had happened in my life, my childhood, that I never told anyone else before that day. I realized that I could trust you with my secrets and you could trust me. I secretly loved how easy it was between us, how we could share everything with each other." Jackson can't help the smirk on his face and the warmth that spreads through his chest. Only April Kepner, could make him feel this way, this _complete._

Jackson squeezes her hand in his. "I think we should come here once a week to talk like we used to, what do you think?" April gives him a big smile. "I think that's a great idea. We can get Harriet to babysit the twins and get to know each other again as _friends_." Jackson nods at her words, happy that he's getting his best friend back. April suddenly let's go of his hand and grabs his coffee cup across the table. She takes a sip, something that she used to do, whenever he had tried something new. Jackson watches her face scrunch up in disgust and he smirks at her reaction. April's eyes find his. "What's this?" His smirk deepens. "It's an almond based coffee." April quickly sets the coffee cup down. "Well, as your best friend, you've got to stop drinking that stuff. You know I hate almonds." Jackson can't help but smile. "Why do you think I ordered it?" April slaps him on the arm playfully and Jackson feels like everything is falling into place. They spend the next two hours, talking and laughing, something they hadn't done with each other in a long time.


	16. Family Hour

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Grey's Anatomy". This chapter will be from Harriet's P.O.V. and it will be a fun chapter for the entire Kepner-Avery family. I think focusing on rebuilding their family is just as important as rebuilding Japril's relationship. As always, thanks for favoriting/following and commenting.

Chapter 16

Family Hour

Harriet puts the twins to bed and looks down at her cell phone. It's almost midnight and her parents still haven't come home yet. She feels frustration flood her and wonders if the two have managed to work out their issues. Harriet makes her way to the couch and lies down. She's just going to close her eyes for a few minutes and then hopefully, her parents will come home, so she can start questioning them. These days, Harriet feels more like the parent to the two of them. She wonders if this is how her parents feel when she goes out with friends and is late for her curfew. She takes a breath, already hating the idea of being a parent, and she's only fourteen. Harriet closes her eyes and ends up falling asleep.

Sometime later, she opens her eyes to the sound of giggles. She lifts her head from her mom's various throw pillows and peers over the couch. Harriet's heart stops, when her mom and dad, go stumbling upstairs. While she's happy that her parents seem to be working things out, she's not sure, if rushing things between them is the right thing anymore. Of course, she absolutely wants them to get back together, but she doesn't want them to crash and burn. Harriet waits for the giggles to die down, before she gets off the couch, and sneaks upstairs. She prays that she doesn't walk in on _anything_ that will scar her for life. Harriet remembers hearing Sofia talk about walking in on her two moms, who had hooked up one night, while they were visiting Callie in New York two years ago. Apparently, it was so traumatizing, that she had asked her parents to send her straight to therapy afterwards.

Harriet shakes her head and reaches the top of the stairs. She walks down the hallway towards her mom's room and hears her giggles. The door is cracked open and she stops in front of it. Harriet takes a sharp breath in, before she looks through the space. What she sees is surprising, even for her parents. Her mom is lounging on her bed, looking into a box she's never seen before, and beaming. Harriet scans the box to see if there's a label somewhere but doesn't see one. "I can't believe you kept this stuff." her dad says. She watches her mom give her dad a smile. "Even after we fell apart, I couldn't seem to throw any of it out." Harriet feels her curiosity getting the best of her, just as her mom holds up a napkin in the air. She watches her dad smirk and feels confusion wash over her. "It's from our night in San Francisco, I actually wrote You and Me on it." Her dad nods his head. "I thought you were going to kick that guy's ass all the way back to wherever he came from." Her mom laughs, the two sharing a memory that's she's never heard them talk about before. Something private between the two of them. It's weird for her to think that there are still details of their story that she doesn't know, that she may never know.

After a few moments, Harriet watches her dad pull out a piece of paper. He smiles down at it and then looks at her mom. "Our first lease." April gives him a grin and a nod. "Yep, that paper commemorates the day we became roommates, and I had to endure living with Alex." Harriet's eyes go wide, at yet another detail she didn't know. The thought of Dr. Karev living with her parents seems completely ridiculous to her, considering neither her mom or her dad have ever been close to him. Her dad's smirk widens. "That day when we were talking about moving in together at Zola's party, why did you want Alex living with us?" The room goes quiet for a few moments, before her mom's voice fills the room. "I…didn't think at the time that it was a good idea to be alone with you." The truth, plain and simple.

Harriet holds her breath, as she waits for her dad to say something, anything. A few moments pass, before her dad reaches out, to put his hand on her knee. She smiles at her dad's gesture and suddenly feels like an intruder. They are having a moment, _finally_ , and she doesn't want to ruin it. So, Harriet turns away from the door, and the stupid floor creaks as she does. She freezes, hoping that her parents didn't hear her, but knowing it's a slim chance. "Nugget, are you snooping again?" Harriet turns at the sound of her mom's voice, knowing she's in trouble now. She opens the door wider and sees the stern look on her mom's face. "Shouldn't you be in bed by now?" Harriet nods guiltily. "I was waiting up for you and dad to get home." The room goes silent again for a few moments, before her dad finally speaks out. "We were late because me and your mom went out after therapy for coffee." Despite being in trouble, Harriet can't help the smile that comes across her face. She's happy that the reason they were so late was because they were having coffee together.

Her eyes fall on the box and her mom catches her gaze. "Do you want to see what else is in the box with us?" Harriet gives her mom a wider smile. "That would be awesome, if you and dad don't mind?" Her parents settle back on the bed and her dad pats the space between them. "Come sit here between me and your mom." She smiles wide, as she makes her way over to the bed, and plops down in the space. Harriet's heart warms, as her dad takes out another object, which is a beautifully decorated picture frame. It's a candid of her parents dancing and smiling at each other.

Harriet looks over at her mom. "When was this taken?" Her mom exchanges a look with her dad, before she turns to look at her. "It was taken at Christina's wedding to Owen. I had been crying and was a mess before this was taken. Your dad had asked me to dance because he had felt sorry for me." Harriet turns to her dad for confirmation and he nods his head. "Your mom always cries at weddings and I wanted to make her feel better." Her dad smirks at the picture and a realization comes to her. "Did you like mom back then?" Her dad takes a moment, before nodding. "I did, but I hadn't realized it yet." Harriet turns to her mom and she's grinning at her dad. She loves seeing them getting along and being a _real family_. "Really, back then?" her mom asks in surprise. Harriet turns to her dad, whose smirk widens. "We were just starting to get to know each other, but I knew I liked being around you." Harriet turns to her mom, who has the brightest smile she's ever seen, and her heart warms at the sight.

Sometime during their search through the box, all three fall asleep on the bed. Harriet wakes up the next morning between her parents and it reminds her of how things used to be when she was a little girl. She can't help but smile and snuggle between them. Just as she closes her eyes again, she hears little feet coming down the hall, towards her mom's bedroom. Before she even opens her eyes, the twins' giggling fills the air, as they come into the room. Harriet feels the bed suddenly shift and her eyes open wide. She sees Gabe and Mary, coming over to snuggle on either side of her. Gabe turns to her, his little eyes filled with surprise. "Why is daddy here?" Harriet's not sure how to answer that question, so she says the first thing that comes to her mind. "Dad wanted to come and have a sleepover with me and mom." Mary nudges her shoulder and she turns to her. "What about me and Gabe, we like sleepovers?" Harriet smiles at her little sister. "We didn't want to wake you up, you were already snoring away." Mary gives her the eye. "I don't snore!" She laughs and hears Gabe join in with his own giggles.

Moments later, the bed shifts on her mom's side, and she faces the three of them. "Do I hear my little munchkins?" Gabe and Mary jump up fast, her little sister attacking her mom with a hug, and her little brother jumping over her to do the same. Harriet watches the twins clinging onto her like a lifeline and she soon joins in. She knows that if someone walked in right now, they'd probably make fun of her, but she doesn't care. A few moments pass, before she feels her dad wrap his arms around her, and the rest of their family. Harriet realizes in this moment, that their all her lifeline, and always will be.


	17. Together

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Grey's Anatomy". This chapter is another happy one for Japril, who are reconnecting with each other and their family. I hope everyone continues to enjoy the story. As always, thanks for following/favoriting and commenting.

Chapter 17

Together

April cooks breakfast for her family, something they hadn't done together in a long time. She smiles to herself, as she finishes cooking her famous homemade pancakes. "Mom, are they done yet, I'm starving?" April places the hot pancakes on a plate and then turns to her oldest daughter. "Come and get them, nugget." Harriet gives her a grin, as she rushes towards the counter, and plops three pancakes onto her plate. "Slow down there, kid. You're beginning to eat like your mom." Her heart flutters at the sound of his voice, this early in the morning. It has been a long time since he's been here, with her, and the kids.

April still remembers the last time they had all had breakfast together, before the twins were born, and the negative tension that had been between them. The memory twists her heart because the distance they had experienced that day and the years since, tore her heart in two. She hears the twins' giggles behind her and gives Jackson a playful glare. "You should have seen your dad after we got married. Every Sunday, I'd go to church, and then come home to him begging me for my special pancakes. He wouldn't leave me alone, until I made them." April smiles, as Jackson shakes his head. "Don't listen to your mom. I never begged for her to cook me pancakes, I was too busy watching pre-game football." She can't help but laugh at her ex-husband. Her eyes travel over to her daughter, who's also smiling. "I don't believe you, dad. I know how much you've always loved mom's pancakes. Remember when I was ten, how you gave me $100, to sneak a peek at mom's recipe for her pancakes?" April turns to Jackson. "You bribed our daughter to steal from me?" He rubs his hand over his neck and Harriet chuckles. "Busted." April smiles at her daughter and serves the twins their pancakes. "Mommy, I need syrup." She turns to Gabe. "I know munchkin, give me a second to get it." Before she can get to the refrigerator to grab the syrup, Jackson swoops in, and grabs it for her. She smiles, loving him being around like this.

April makes her way over to the counter and fills her own plate. "Mommy, can I have more bacon please." asks Mary. April nods and puts one additional piece of bacon on her plate. She always lets her have one extra piece, which is a total of two. April has always found it funny how Mary thinks she's getting away with something, whenever she asks for the extra piece of bacon. She's never had the heart to tell her that she's not. April walks over to the table and sets a piece of bacon on Mary's plate. Her little eyes connect with hers and a smile spreads across her face. "Thank you, mommy." April can't help but smile at her daughter's innocence and kisses the top of her head. "How about me, mommy?" She grins, as she moves over to her son across the table and kisses the top of his head. "Now kiss Harriet." says Mary. April turns to the next chair to give her oldest daughter a kiss on her head. "There, now can I eat in peace, munchkins?" Gabe shakes his head, at the same time Mary nods. "No, mommy, you have to kiss daddy." April's breath catches at her son's request. She knows that they're not there in their relationship, but she doesn't want to disappoint her children.

So, April decides on the safe route, and kisses Jackson on the head. She has the urge to rub the top of his head, something she used to do when they were married, but stops herself. April doesn't want to ruin rebuilding their relationship and making things awkward between them. As she steps away from him, she feels his eyes burning into her, and April knows that a blush is forming on her cheeks. She tries not to let it fluster her, as she sits safely across the table, next to Gabe. April begins eating her breakfast, avoiding Jackson's eyes. "So, when are we allowed to come to your meetings?" April looks over at Harriet. "I'm not sure, but I'll ask Dr. Hanson our next session." Her daughter gives her a nod in response.

For the next few minutes, everyone focuses on eating their breakfast. All that can be heard is the clanking of forks against plates. April smiles to herself, as she pours hot syrup on her pancakes. She feels like she's in a dream right now and she never wants to wake-up to the life she had before. "April." His voice cuts through her thoughts, as she looks across the table. Jackson gives her a genuine smirk and then looks at his watch. Then, his eyes find hers again. "Thanks for the pancakes." She gives him a grin. " _You're welcome, we loved having you here_." He gives her a smile and nods. "I guess I'll see you at the hospital later." April gives him a nod. "Yeah, I have a surgery this afternoon." Jackson makes his way over to the dishwasher and puts his dish in.

As he makes his way out of the kitchen, he turns in the archway. "Have a good day at school and don't give your mom any trouble." All three of their children nod in unison and his eyes lock with hers on last time. She's missed him looking at her like this, like she's the center of his world. April finds her heart doing a somersault in response. She's aware that they're taking things slow by rebuilding their friendship, but if he keeps looking at her like that, she's not sure she'll be able to stop herself from kissing him. As he leaves the kitchen, _April knows with the utmost certainty, what her weakness is and has always has been, and his name is Jackson Avery._


	18. What Could Have Been

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Grey's Anatomy". This chapter will be from Jackson's P.O.V. and will continue April and Jackson's reconciliation. I hope everyone continues enjoying this story. As always, thanks for following/favoriting and commenting.

Chapter 18

What Could Have Been

Jackson looks over a patient's chart, when someone touches his shoulder. He doesn't have to turn around to know who it is. Jackson smirks when he sees April standing there, holding a cup of coffee out for him to grab. "I got your favorite." His smirk widens, as he takes the coffee cup from her. "Thanks." April gives her that bright smile he loves so much and the two make their way down the hall together. Jackson wishes that he could wrap his arm around her like he used to, but he knows they're taking things slow. "Did the kids get to school on time?" April nods her head and takes a sip of her coffee. "Harriet did, but the twins gave me a hard time." Jackson nods, knowing how difficult it is getting the twins ready to do anything.

Gabriel and Mary would play hide and seek, trying to outsmart them. "Did you look under the bed, that seems to be Gabriel's favorite spot? Mary likes hiding in closets." April suddenly stops in the middle of the hallway and gives him a frown. "And you didn't tell me that piece of information because?" He gives her a smirk. "I thought you knew." She shakes her head. "You're lucky your house isn't as big as mine. The twins have a lot more hiding places. This morning, Gabriel did decide to hide under the bed and Mary in the closet. I doubt they'll hide there tomorrow." April's frown deepens. "I'm glad I don't live in your house, then." She hits him playfully in the arm and the two continue walking down the hall.

They make their way towards the main entrance of the hospital. It's a nice spring day and they both have the same idea in mind. They walk outside together and sit on the bench. Jackson remembers the last time they had sat together there. It was when she was pregnant with Samuel before they knew about everything. _He remembers how happy he felt, how hopeful._ They were going to have a son and start a family. Jackson had loved rubbing her pregnant belly, something he couldn't do with Harriet or the twins. The idea that they had created a life together had made him excited to be a father. For the first time in his life, he had wanted to have children. _April had made him want children. Being with her had made him want more in his life._ "Jackson, are you okay?" He turns to her and nods. "Yeah, I was just thinking about the last time we sat here." A sadness washes over her by his words and he can see the tears welling up in her eyes.

Jackson immediately regrets what he's just said and puts his arm around her. He brings her to his side and she buries her head in the crook of his neck. Jackson knows how difficult it is for the both of them to talk about their son, but he also knows that they need to remember him and lean on each other. It was something they didn't do after he had died, but it's something they need to do now. Jackson squeezes April closer to him, his head resting on top of hers. "I wonder what he would have been like sometimes." he whispers. Her head lifts up slightly and their eyes connect. He's forgotten how much he loves those eyes. "You do?" Jackson nods, trying to keep his own emotions in check. "Yeah, I picture him playing football like I did. Teaching him how to play the game and coaching from the sidelines. He's also smart like you, but you still help him with his homework. I can see the two of you together, watching T.V. or talking about his day at school. I can see it all April, it's all I've thought about since we lost him." April's tears fall down her cheeks and he can feel a stray tear roll slowly down his own. "I didn't know." Jackson gives her a sad nod. "I know because we never talked about it." April puts her hand on his chest. "I think about him too. He's not playing football, but he's so smart, Jackson. I can picture him winning the spelling bee for his entire grade and getting straight A's. Even though we only knew him for a few precious minutes, I've somehow imagined his whole life with us." Jackson feels a few more tears fall down his cheeks, as April's eyes lock with his own.

He reaches out and wipes away the tears on her cheeks. "We both have. I've even imagined how protective he would be as a big brother." April gives him a teary smile. "So, have I. I can see him following Harriet on dates and playing with the twins." Jackson nods his head, realizing for the first time, that they've both had similar thoughts running through their heads regarding Samuel.

Jackson forgets where he is for a minute and sweeps her hair out of her face. She gives him a warm smile before resting her head on his chest. Jackson smiles at their proximity and how comfortable they are with each other again. They sit in silence for a few moments before April's voice rings out. "I know we're taking things slow but is it too forward of me to tell you how much I love you? Because I do love you Jackson, I always have." Jackson can't help but smirk at her words, as he plants a kiss on the top of her head. "It's never too soon to say it. I love you too, April." The two spend the rest of their break cuddled together, the coffee they had planned to drink together long forgotten.


	19. A Big Surprise

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Grey's Anatomy". This chapter will be from Harriet's P.O.V and will feature a big surprise for her and the twins. I hope you enjoy this chapter, it will be light and happy. As always, thanks for following/favoriting and commenting.

Chapter 19

A Big Surprise

Harriet watches her parents from across the dinner table and notices something different between them tonight. There's more smiling, touching, and their acting like total dorks. She furrows her brow when her mom starts snorting. "Are you two okay?" Her parents both look over at her simultaneously, but their smiles remain. "We're fine, nugget. Actually, we're better than fine." Harriet looks between them, trying to figure out what's going on. While her parents have been on great terms lately, they've never acted like this before. She watches as her mom turns to her dad. "Do you want to tell them the story or should I?" Her dad looks over at her with a smirk. "After your mom and I eloped, we got so lost on the way back from Tahoe, we ended up in a hokey small town that your mom was obsessed with." More confused than ever, she looks across the table, and sees her mom hit her dad playfully in the arm. "I wasn't obsessed with it, I just loved the people there." Her dad looks over at her with a smirk, then shakes his head. "Yeah, she loved it so much, she promised the people there that she'd bring her children back someday." Harriet looks between her parents again, a smile coming over her face. "So, are you trying to tell us that we're going on a trip soon?" Her mom looks over at her with a genuine smile and it warms her heart to see her so happy.

Harriet sees her mom nod and excitement washes over her. Harriet remembers the last time they had been on vacation together before the twins were born. Her mom had wanted to go to Moline to visit her grandparents, aunts, and uncles for Christmas. She had been about four and to her dad's dismay, they had driven the whole way instead of flying. Her thoughts are suddenly interrupted, as the twins predictably bombard their parents with questions. "How long will it take to get there?" shouts out Gabe to the right of her. Before her parents can even answer his question, Mary chimes in. "Can I play my music on the radio, Gabe got to do it when we were in the car last time with daddy?" The twins continue their weird stream of questions until her mom finally stands up from the table. "Listen up, munchkins. Your dad and I have been planning this trip for the last few days." Harriet watches as her mom looks over at Gabe. "Neither of you need to know how long it'll take to get there because it's a surprise." Her mom then turns to Mary. "And your father and I will control the radio. I promise we'll come up with a fair schedule." Mary and Gabe both pout in their chairs and the room goes quiet.

Harriet can't help but roll her eyes at her brother and sister. She's glad that her mom has finally put them in their place. Harriet looks over at her parents, as her dad's voice break through the silence. "Go upstairs and pack your stuff, we're leaving in the morning." The twins simultaneously get up from the dinner table and scurry upstairs. "That includes you, nugget." commands her mom. Harriet gives her a nod and also makes her way upstairs to pack. She prays this trip goes well and they all survive the car ride together.

The next morning, Harriet wakes up to the sound of her mom's voice and a knock on her door. "Wake up, nugget. Time to get ready to go." Harriet groggily turns over to look at the time on her stand, which reads 5 A.M. She should have expected her mom to wake her up at the crack of dawn for the trip. Harriet sighs, as she gets up, and starts to get dressed for the day. She wonders if the twins are awake yet, considering the two of them are always giving their parents a hard time getting ready in the morning.

When she finishes getting ready, she makes her way downstairs. She's welcomed with the smell of her mom's famous cinnamon rolls. Harriet used to love eating them when she was little, but her mom stopped making them for some reason. She had never asked why, but she figures now, that it was because it was her dad's favorite too. As she reaches the kitchen, her mom is standing at the oven, and her dad has his arms wrapped around her waist. The scene is intimate, and Harriet feels like she's once again interfering with their moment. She wants to turn away, but she can't seem to.

Harriet loves seeing her parents this happy again together. There's a smirk on her dad's face, as he buries his head into her shoulder. Harriet hears her mom giggle at the contact and her heart warms at the sight. "Mommy, daddy, we're ready." shouts Gabe from somewhere behind her. Harriet turns to see the twins bounding towards her, fully dressed, with their little suitcases. She stares at them in surprise before turning back to her parents, who are now standing on opposite sides of the kitchen. "Wow, I wish you'd munchkins get up and ready like this every day." The twins smile and bound towards their mom, both taking a cinnamon roll off the cooking pan. "One each, we all have to eat." Harriet watches the twins gobble down their rolls, as her mom makes her way over to her. "Here you go, nugget. Take this before your dad steals it away." She gives her mom a smile and takes the cinnamon roll out of her hand. "Hey, I heard that." jokes her dad. Harriet turns to see him sipping a cup of coffee with a smile on his face.

She finishes her cinnamon roll and looks over at her mom who has made her way across the kitchen with three cinnamon rolls for her dad. She smiles as she hands her dad a plate and in return he hands her a cup of coffee, presumably the way she likes it. Harriet watches how in sync her parents are and hopes to have with someone what they have one day. A love that's strong enough to make it through anything, a love that lasts.


	20. A Dream Fulfilled

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Grey's Anatomy". This chapter will feature April's P.O.V. and the start of their road trip to that little town. I hope everyone continues to enjoy this story. As always, thanks for following/favoriting and commenting.

Chapter 20

A Dream Fulfilled

April gets into the passenger seat of her SUV and can't help but smile. She never thought they'd get to this day, but here they are. April sets the GPS coordinates and quickly gets out to help her kids pack up the car. "Mommy, I need your help." says Mary. April turns to see her youngest daughter struggling to carry her heavy suitcase down the long concrete stairs. "I'm coming munchkin." Just as she starts making her way towards Mary, Harriet and Gabriel come into view with their bags behind her. They both set them by the door. When April reaches Mary, she stares at her questioningly. "Why didn't you leave your bags by the door like Gabriel and Harriet?" Mary gives her a smile. "I'm a big girl, I don't need daddy doing it for me." April looks over at Harriet who's smiling and then to Gabriel who's shaking his head. "You're so stupid, Mary." She quickly shakes her head. "That's not a nice word Gabriel, where did you learn that?" She watches as her son pauses for a few moments. "I know mommy he learned it from Mikey." April sighs to herself. She knew her son's friendship with Alex and Jo's son would only lead to disaster.

April gives Gabriel a stern look. "Just because Mikey says it, doesn't mean you're allowed to. Now, say you're sorry to your sister." She watches as her son crosses his arms in anger and then gives her a pout. "What did I miss?" April looks over at Jackson now standing in the doorway. "Gabriel decided to call Mary a bad word and won't apologize for it." He gives her an understanding nod and she's thankful that she's got his full support when disciplining their children. April watches Jackson kneel in front of their son and give him a serious look. "You know saying bad words is wrong. Now, listen to your mom and say your sorry to your sister." Gabriel gives him a reluctant nod and turns to look at Mary. "I'm sorry for calling you stupid." April shoots Jackson a quick smile of thanks and then looks back at Gabriel. "Alright, let's go, we've got a trip to take." All three of her children come bustling towards the car, Mary's luggage long forgotten.

April grins to herself at her youngest daughter's thirst for independence. She remembers when Harriet went through that same phase. April had literally had to hide her car keys at one point because Harriet had demanded to drive herself to the Hospital Daycare. "Are you ready, April?" She's snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of Jackson's voice and turns to give him a nod. April walks over to the backseat to make sure the twins are fastened in their car seats, before she settles into the passenger seat, and they set off towards the highway.

A few hours into the drive, she hears the backseat erupt into commotion. The last time she had checked, the twins were asleep, and Harriet was listening to music. April turns to see the twins fighting over who gets the last chocolate milk. "Hey munchkins, pause." The twins stop moving and look straight at her simultaneously. "Gabriel, how many chocolate milks have you had?" Her son gives her a quick answer. "Less than Mary." April gives him a stern look and then turns to Mary. "Is that true, Mary?" She shakes her head and then glares at Gabriel. April decides to turn to her third child, who now has her earphones out of her ears. "Do you know how many chocolate milks they both had?" Harriet gives her a nod. "Yeah, Gabriel had two chocolate milks, while Mary had three." April gives her a nod and turns to Mary. "Give your brother the last chocolate milk." Mary reluctantly hands the milk over to her twin and sighs in frustration.

April turns back to look at Harriet. "How are you doing back there, nugget?" Her oldest daughter gives her a shrug. "I'm doing fine, just wondering how much longer we have to drive until we get there?" April gives her a small smile. "Well, we'll have to stop in about two hours for the night, and then drive the rest of the way tomorrow." Harriet gives her a nod and settles back into the seat. Her eyes meet hers after a moment. "Can we stop where you and dad got married on the way to the town?" April gives her daughter a grin. "Sure, I'd love to see the lake again." Harriet gives her a big smile and her heart warms at the sight. She's happy to be sharing this trip with her children and even happier that she's sharing it with Jackson.

As she situates herself back in the front seat, she looks over at the man that she's been through so much with. _Through the good and the bad, she's never stopped loving him, not for one second._ Jackson must feel her eyes on him because he puts his hand down on the console for her to take in hers. April can't contain her smile as she laces her fingers through his. _It still amazes her that he can read her so well, that he knows her so completely._ April squeezes his hand and sees Jackson smirk in response. She rests her head against the headrest and closes her eyes. April thinks about the girl she used to be. The one that had dreamed of a moment like this, a life like this, but never thought it would happen. Truth be told, being with Jackson and having a family with him had always been her dream. Since the first moment she had met Jackson Avery as that bubbly intern she had wanted this. April smiles at the thought and is thankful that her once impossible dream has become a dream fulfilled.


	21. A Weird Town

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Grey's Anatomy". This chapter will be from Harriet's P.O.V. and will feature her perspective on the new town our favorite family is visiting. As always, thanks for following/favoriting and commenting.

Chapter 21

A Weird Town

Harriet is relieved when they finally get to the mystery town. It's been a _very_ long drive and she's tired of the twins constant bickering. Through the window, she takes in her new surroundings. Harriet spots a few simple stores lining the street and what looks like a diner. Ever since she was little, she's always wanted to eat in a diner. Her mom used to tell her stories about going to her grandfather's diner when she was a little girl. He would give her a chocolate milkshake and a cheeseburger. Harriet smiles as she remembers her mom's face lighting up at the mention of that cheeseburger. Apparently, it had been the best cheeseburger in the world, according to her.

Her dad suddenly comes to a stop and parks the SUV. Harriet's eyes scan the little bed and breakfast and she spots a woman coming out of the building. She would guess she's about her grandma's age, maybe a little younger. The woman walks up towards her mom's side and gives her a wacky smile. Harriet watches in disbelief as her mom jumps out of the SUV and gives the woman a bear hug. The woman's high-pitched screams make her cringe. "My goodness, it's been ages since we've seen you both." Her mom gives her a smile. "Well, we made a promise, and here we are." The woman's eyes move to them sitting in the backseat.

Harriet feels uneasy for some reason as the woman looks them over. "The whole town has been waiting to meet them." Her mom turns towards them. "Come out and meet Mrs. Lynn." Harriet hesitantly unbuckles herself and then the twins from their car seats. She has a really weird feeling about this place and especially about Mrs. Lynn. Other than her mom, she's never met anyone so bright and cheery in her life. Harriet helps Mary and Gabe down from the SUV. She then climbs down behind them and they make their way over to their mom. Harriet glances over at Mrs. Lynn, as she stops next to her mom. Her mom wraps her arm around her. "This is my little nugget, Harriet." She feels a wave of embarrassment wash over her, especially since the woman in front of them is a total stranger.

If it's even possible, Mrs. Lynn's smile grows wider. "Well, it's nice to finally meet you, nugget. Can I call you nugget?" Harriet freezes for a few moments, not sure what to say. On the one hand, she doesn't want to be disrespectful to this woman, but on the other, she seems to be a little…odd. Harriet has no idea what to think, as Mrs. Lynn's screechy voice fills the air. "I'm just kidding, honey. Harriet is a lovely name." Harriet just gives the woman a fake smile knowing that her mom would kill her if she said anything right now.

Mrs. Lynn gives her a creepy smile in return and turns to the twins. "And these two are my munchkins, Gabriel and Mary." Harriet watches as the twins simultaneously show Mrs. Lynn their toothy grins. "Well, it's certainly nice to meet you both as well. How about we get you munchkins our famous ice cream sundaes?" The twins start clapping their hands and jumping in the air. Harriet shakes her head at how trusting the twins are of this stranger. All it takes is an offer of ice cream and she's their new best friend.

Mrs. Lynn turns to her mom and wraps her arm around her. "Let's go meet everyone, dear." Her mom gives her a nod and they follow after them without question. As they walk, the weird feeling in the pit of her stomach intensified. She can't explain why, but the last time she had felt this way, was when she went trick-or-treating and had walked past that creepy house. Harriet had been five and this strange feeling had overtaken her. She remembers looking over at that big house, seemingly normal, but the feeling she got by looking at it was unsettling. Harriet had felt so weird about everything that she had refused to go up to the door to get her candy. She had plopped down on the sidewalk, until her parents finally gave up on her, and let her move onto the next house.

Harriet takes a deep breath trying to get rid of the feeling, as they enter the diner. This isn't exactly how she had imagined her first visit to a diner. Her eyes scan the room, and everyone is staring at her with a smile. Harriet averts her eyes quickly, feeling more than a little uncomfortable. She spends the next few minutes in a daze, hearing her mom greeting everyone, trying to introduce the twins and her. "Harriet, honey, are you okay?" She looks up to see her dad staring at her with concern. "Define okay." Her dad gives her a smirk and puts his arm around her.

He leads her out of the diner and they start to walk down the main road of the town. "You know, it took me a minute to get used to this too." Harriet gives her dad a nod, glad that she's not the only one to have trouble with this town. "I'm not like your mom, I don't trust so easily." Her dad stops and turns to her with a smile. "I promise that these people are a little crazy, but their good people." Harriet gives her dad a reluctant smile and tries to get rid of that weird feeling still clawing at her. "Alright, let's go see how many friends your moms made already." She laughs at her dad and the two walk back down the street to the diner. Despite what her dad just said, she still has an unsettling feeling about this place, but she'll try to make the best of it for her parents.


	22. Reflections

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Grey's Anatomy". I'm very happy that so many of you are enjoying this story. I love writing happy Japril for a change. This chapter will focus on Jackson's P.O.V. regarding the town and there may be a surprise or two in store as well. As always, thanks for following/favoriting and commenting.

Chapter 22

Reflections

Jackson watches April talking and laughing animatedly with the townspeople. He can't help but smirk at how excited she is to be here. Jackson's missed seeing her like this over the years and hopes he can make her this happy the second time around. April's eyes catch his and he feels his heart skip a beat. She's the only person that's ever made him feel so much and he's thankful every day that she's given him another shot to make things right. "Avery, what are you doing here?" Jackson freezes at the sound of that familiar voice and he feels anger shoot through him. He can't believe that they'd run into this guy today of all days. "Matthew." He glances over at April, who looks just as surprised as he does.

Jackson watches her move down the counter tentatively and take her spot next to him. She grabs his hand and he suddenly feels like he can breathe again. "It's good to see you again, April." He turns to look over at her and can see the nervous panic in her expression. Jackson knows she needs his support, so he squeezes her hand in reassurance. "It's nice to see you too. So…what brings you to this little town?" Jackson turns to Matthew, who's now looking down at their clasped hands. "My wife is from this town, we met at the hospital I transferred to after… you know." There's an uneasy pause and Jackson can feel the tension between all of them. He can't imagine how this situation could get any worse. "We're here to visit her family." Jackson watches Matthew smile awkwardly and April nod uncomfortably at him in return. He then hears the bell over the door ring and turns his attention to the door. Jackson sees a blonde woman with five children trailing behind her. He watches as Matthew wraps his arm around the woman. "This is my wife, Lydia. Lydia, this is Jackson and April." The woman smiles wide at them. "Wow, this is a weird coincidence, but I'm glad we ran into each other. There's something I've wanted to tell April for a long time." As she steps forward towards her, Jackson feels April's nails digging into his skin.

Lydia stops right in front of April and suddenly wraps her arms around her. Jackson stares at the scene in confusion. "I want to thank you for bringing Matthew into my life. If you hadn't left him for Jackson, we would have never met. You're the reason I met my soulmate, so thank you." He watches April hug Lydia back and then pull away. She then gives her one of her beautiful smiles that he loves so much. "It was the best decision I ever made, I'm just sorry about the way it happened." April's smile disappears as she looks over at Matthew. He gives her a small smile in return. "I forgave you a long time ago, April. Everything turned out the way it was meant to." Jackson sees April's smile return, as she tucks herself into his side. She then turns to him and he watches her smile grow even brighter. "Yeah it did." He holds onto her tightly and the two are lost in each other's eyes for a few moments.

Jackson can't help but see the girl he had fallen in love with in her eyes. The girl that had stolen his heart without him even knowing it. Looking back, Jackson knows he wouldn't have stood a chance resisting her for too long. "Earth to mom and dad." Jackson snaps out of his trance and looks over at his daughter. "Aren't you going to introduce us?" He gives Harriet a smile, as her and the twins come forward to stand on either side of them. Jackson waits for April to do their introductions because he knows she loves gloating about their kids. "These are our three beautiful children." He watches as April pulls Harriet into a side hug. "This is our oldest daughter, Harriet." Harriet gives them both her brightest smile and he can't help but smirk at how much she reminds him of April at this moment.

Jackson then sees April let go of Harriet and grab the twins by each of their shoulders. "And these two munchkins are Gabriel and Mary." Jackson's smirk deepens as he watches the twins curtsey. He figures they had probably seen it on some movie that they had watched recently and thought that it was the right way to say hello now. "It's so nice to meet you all." says Lydia in a singsong voice. She gives them all a smile and then Matthew steps forward. He puts his hand on the shoulder of his first kid. "Our five kids are Michael, Nicholas, Rose, Beth, and Jacob." As he reaches the last of his kids, Jackson can see how proud he is of them. He knows the feeling, as he looks over at his own children. They're growing up so fast, but he's proud of the people they are, and who they're becoming. He knows that as long as they have April in their lives guiding them, they'll be the best kind of people. She always brings out a person's inherent goodness and brightens their world. She brought out the best in him and he's happy that she's doing the same for their kids.

Everyone suddenly goes into their own direction and the whole diner erupts in noise again. He decides to walk over to the counter to sit down and let April have her time to socialize. "Can I have a chocolate milkshake?" The waitress behind the counter nods. "Sure sweetie, can I get you anything else?" Jackson shakes his head and the waitress starts to make the milkshake. "Can you please make that two chocolate milkshakes?" The waitress turns to give Harriet a nod before setting to work on a second milkshake. "So, I guess that explains the weird feeling in the pit of my stomach." He turns to his daughter. "Yeah, your mom almost squeezed the circulation off in my hand, when he walked in." Jackson watches Harriet look away for a second and wonders what's going through her mind. The waitress places the milkshake in front of him and then puts the other in front of his daughter. They don't talk for a few minutes, both too lost in their own thoughts to talk.

Jackson watches as Harriet takes a few sips of her milkshake before turning her attention back to him. "Do you ever wonder about what your life would have been like if she had married Matthew that day?" Jackson takes a few seconds to process her question. He's surprised to realize that before this, he's never thought about what his life would have been like, without interrupting April's wedding. "I probably would have stayed single and tried to convince myself that I had done the right thing by not interrupting her wedding." Jackson pauses trying to get his racing thoughts together before he continues. "Before your mom, I hadn't wanted to get married or have any kids of my own. I liked being single and having my own life unattached." Jackson takes another sip of his milkshake before he continues. "Then your mom came along and made me see that marriage could be more than just a piece of paper. I eventually realized that she was the only one I wanted to have all of that with." He can't help but smirk at the exact moment he had realized that he had only wanted to settle down with April.

They were both working the nightshift not long after they had first slept together in San Francisco. Jackson remembers it being a few nights before the plane crash and they had been dancing around each other. He had to work with April on an incoming trauma and their patient happened to be a man that had been hit by a semi-truck on his way to his wedding. When he was conscious, he kept asking them if his soon-to-be wife's ring was still safe. At the time, Jackson had found it stupid that the man would be worried about a ring when his life was on the line, but April had kept reassuring him that the ring was safe. He remembers asking her why he had cared about the ring so much and how confused she looked about it afterwards. To April, the ring had represented a symbol of commitment and love. It wasn't just a piece of gold, just like marriage wasn't just a piece of paper. Jackson had secretly admired how April had thought of marriage and knew in that moment, that she would be the only woman that he could ever commit to and love completely.

Jackson meets his daughter's eyes and she gives him a big smile. "Well, I'm happy that she chose you that day. I couldn't imagine Matthew being my father. Don't get me wrong, he seems nice, but no one could be a better dad to me than you." He can't help but smirk at Harriet's words, especially since she's a teenager now. Jackson knows that she's at the age where she's starting to pull away from him, but he's happy that there are still moments like this where she's his little girl again. The little girl that used to call him daddy and beg him to read her bedtime stories. "I love you, sweetheart." It's the same words he used to say every night before she went to bed, until she thought she was too old to hear it. Jackson watches a smile suddenly light up her face. "I love you too, daddy." He smirks at her words and then the two continue to enjoy their milkshakes together.

A few minutes pass before he finishes his milkshake and then turns to take in the old diner. Jackson still can't believe that him and April have made it back here after everything they've been through. He realizes now that the reason he had never thought about his life without April is because of how intertwined their paths have always been. Their connected on this crazy ride together no matter how much they've wanted to abandon ship over the years. _Their tied together for life._


	23. My One True Love

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Grey's Anatomy". This next chapter is my absolute favorite chapter that I've written so far, and I hope you enjoy it. As always, thanks for following/favoriting and commenting.

Chapter 23

My One True Love

April makes her way back to the little bed-in-breakfast, feeling happier than she has in a long time. There's something about being in this place, with these people, that makes her feel right at home. When she enters the bed-in-breakfast, she starts to make her way down the tiny hallway to her room. She knocks on the door and smiles wide when she sees Jackson. He gives her a smirk in return before she follows him into the room. April's breath catches as her eyes take in everything around her. The room is completely decorated with red rose petals and white candles. She realizes that everything is exactly how it was the night of their honeymoon.

April feels tears start to fill her eyes, as she turns to the man she loves, the man she's always loved. "How did you do all this?" He gives her another one of his sexy smirks. "I had a little help from nugget and the munchkins." April gives him a smile and feels her heart warm at how sweet this all is. "Where are they?" Jackson reaches out to grab her hand in his as he leads her across the room. "My mom flew in about an hour ago and is watching them at another hotel outside town." April feels the tears start cascading down her cheeks, as Jackson sits her down on the edge of the bed.

The last time they had been here all those years ago, April had felt completely safe and loved. Now, as she looks at him, she feels the exact same way. Jackson puts his arm around her and she snuggles into his side. _She loves the way he holds her, the way he loves her._ "I wanted to do this for you tonight because I want you to know that I'm with you, April." She smiles in response. "I know you are." Jackson suddenly holds her tighter to him and she feels her heart do a somersault. "I wanted to get you something that shows you I'm committed to us." April watches as he takes a box out of his left pocket and she feels the panic set in.

While she'd like nothing better to marry him again, she's not sure if this is the right time, especially since they both agreed to take things slow. Jackson's eyes lock with hers. "I told you I wanted to do things right this time and I thought you'd like this." He hands the box over to her and she cautiously takes it from him. April can feel her heart galloping within her chest, as she opens the box slowly. As her eyes land on the ring inside, tears begin to fill her eyes once again. If April didn't know any better, she'd say that this was some sort of wonderful dream, like the ones she used to have before they had decided to fix things between them.

She observes the simple band for a few moments. She sees a beautiful heart engraved in the middle with a J on one side and an A on the other _. Two halves of a heart joining together to create one true love._ April feels a sudden wave of emotions coming over her and she can't help but feel truly blessed for having him in her life. For creating three beautiful children from the true love that they share. Her heart stops, as her eyes catch sight of the engraving on the inside. _It's me and you always._ Her mind flashes back to that night in San Francisco, when her and Jackson sat at that bar, and vowed that they'd be there for each other always. April looks back at that moment now as a clear sign that Jackson had loved her long before she had ever thought. He had promised to stand by her side forever and at the time she hadn't really taken him seriously. She figures that it probably was her own insecurities that had gotten in the way of her seeing things clearly that night. Her eyes meet his. "Jackson, I don't know what to say." He grabs her hand in his and the warmth spreads through her like wildfire. "You can put it on." She gives him a big grin, as she puts her left hand out for him to place the ring on. He gives her a smirk back as he takes it out of the box and slides it on her finger.

April can't quite describe the happiness she feels belonging to him again. _He's hers and she's his._ Her eyes meet his once again and she momentarily finds herself mesmerized by his dazzling blue-green eyes. It's definitely not the first time he's had this effect on her and she's sure it won't be the last. "I love it Jackson." The happy tears continue to fall down her cheeks as Jackson puts his hands on either side of her face. He then leans in for a kiss and as their lips touch, she feels a jolt of electricity flow through her body. _April can say without a shadow of doubt that the man in front of her is the only man that has ever made her feel this way, this alive._

They continue to kiss for a few more minutes before he suddenly pulls back. Jackson gives her a smile. "I'm glad you like it." She gives him another smile in return. "I love you, Jackson. Thank you for tonight." His smirk widens. "I love you too." This time, April leans in for a kiss and the two become lost in each other. She loves being this close to him, feeling his heart beat in time against hers. April couldn't imagine a more magical night than the one they are having now, and she prays that it goes on like this forever.


	24. Turn the Page

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Grey's Anatomy". I really loved writing the last chapter and I hope everyone enjoys this chapter just as much. Now that Japril are recommitted to making things work, how will their relationship change? This is the question Jackson will be mulling over in the following chapter. As always, thanks for following/favoriting and commenting.

Chapter 24

Turn the Page

Jackson sneaks out early to get breakfast for him and April. He can't seem to keep the smirk off his face, as he starts towards the little diner down the street. Last night had been everything he had imagined it would be and more. April had come into the room with the brightest smile he had ever seen her have and it had warmed his heart. Jackson had gone over what he was going to say about a thousand times with the kids, but nothing had prepared him for how he had felt, when she had come into that room. April had looked just as beautiful as she had the day he had married her. His smirk widens as he remembers the sparkle in her eyes as he put the promise ring he had made for her on her finger.

It reminded him of how she had looked at him when he had stood up at that church and confessed that he was in love with her. The surprise and awe within her eyes had made his heart stop. Jackson is glad that she can still look at him like that after everything that's happened between them. As he steps into the diner, he makes his way towards the counter. The waitress standing behind it is busy with the breakfast rush, but she does manage to give him a smile. Jackson watches her skirt around with a coffee carafe for a few minutes, before she manages to make it back over to him. "What can I get you, honey?" His eyes scan over the menu briefly before he looks back up at her again. "Can I have two bagels and two to-go cups of coffee?" The woman gives him a nod. "Plain or with something on top?" Jackson locks eyes with her. "Do you have crème cheese?" The woman shakes her head. "Sorry, honey. All we have is old fashion butter here." He gives her a nod. "Butter's fine." The waitress gives him a smile in return before setting off to take the other orders.

Jackson waits another few minutes before the waitress appears with his food and coffees. He gives her a smile. "Thanks." She gives him a nod. "No problem, sweetie. If you and April need anything, just let me know." Jackson reaches for his wallet, but the waitress shakes her head. "It's on the house, I hope you both enjoy your anniversary." The waitress looks past him and nods her head to the left. Jackson furrows his brow before turning to see the love of his life walking into the diner. He should have known that she would figure out where he was and come to meet him. It's a small town, she was bound to find him. "Fancy meeting you here." Her beautiful smile from the previous night appears again and he can't help but smirk at her. "I wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed." Her smile brightens as she takes a few steps closer to him and wraps her arms around his waist.

There's something about her being this close that makes his heart hammer inside his chest. Only April Kepner can make him _feel this much._ Jackson's smirk widens as he moves a stray piece of her red hair out of her face. April's eyes immediately lock with his. "And here I thought you skipped out on me." Jackson's leans in for a kiss. He knows this probably isn't the best idea, but he can't seem to help it. April's looking at him like he's her world again and it's something he's missed over the years. They get lost in the kiss and Jackson's not sure how long they're standing there, before someone clears their throat. They stop, and Jackson reluctantly pulls back from her. As his eyes focus on the person standing behind April, he can't help but smile. "Mom, dad, I love that you're back together, but can you please keep the P.D.A to a minimum? It's kinda embarrassing." Jackson meets April's eyes again and she's smiling at them being caught making out by their teenage daughter. She takes a step back out of his arms and turns to face Harriet. "How did you know…?" Harriet laughs at April's question. "Well, I figured you two would eat breakfast here, considering it's the only place to get food in this town. I also wanted to see how things went last night, but I guess I got my answer." Their daughter stands there beaming at them and it warms his heart.

Jackson loves that the kids have been so supportive of him and April taking the next step in their relationship. "Do you want some breakfast, nugget?" Harriet turns to give him a nod. "Yeah, I'm starving." Jackson gives her a smirk. "Alright, come on." He walks back over to the counter with his daughter in tow and the waitress from before makes her way over to them. "Back already?" Jackson shakes his head. "No, I'm here to order my daughter's food." The waitress turns to Harriet and gives her a bright smile. "Hello, honey, it's good to see you again." His daughter gives her a smile. "It's good to see you too, Kimmy." Jackson is surprised that his daughter had the time to talk to the waitress yesterday, considering how many people were in the diner. "What would you like?" Harriet looks down at the menu and after a few seconds, she finally slides her finger over something on it.

Her eyes meet Kimmy's. "I'd like the omelet special, please." Kimmy gives her a nod. "That's a swell choice." Jackson watches as she quickly makes her way back into the kitchen and he hears Harriet giggle. It reminds him of April's laugh and he can't help but smirk. Jackson turns to look at his daughter. "What's so funny?" She swivels in her chair to face him. "I feel like I'm in a horror movie where a serial killer is about to pop out and murder me." He can't help but smirk at Harriet. Once again, her quirky personality reminds him of her mom's. "Dad, I'm being serious." Jackson shakes his head, as Harriet's order comes up.

Kimmy hands her the plate of food, as he pulls out his wallet for the second time. She waves her hand at him dismissively. "You can put that wallet away again, honey. I already told you that it's on the house." Jackson gives her a small smile. "Thanks for breakfast." With that, she flashes him a kind smile, and she goes back to work. Jackson follows Harriet to a booth in the corner where April is sitting and they all start to eat their breakfast. He finds it weird how quiet it is for the next few minutes, especially since he's sitting with the two biggest talkers he's ever known. "So, what's next?" Jackson puts down his fork and his eyes meet Harriet's across the table. He isn't sure how to answer, other than saying that they are officially a couple again.

Jackson's eyes shift to April, who looks about as uncertain as he feels with this question. They hadn't talked about what this means, what the next step would be. Before he can try to come up with some sort of answer, April's voice fills the air. "Your dad and I are taking things slow, which means that we're dating." Harriet nods at her mom's words. "You mean, your officially boyfriend and girlfriend?" April gives her a bright smile that warms his heart. "Yeah, we're going steady." Their daughter laughs at that. "We're not in the 1950s, mom." He watches them both laugh and he smirks at the feeling of contentment he's feeling. All that is missing are the twins. "You never told us where the twins are?" Harriet stops laughing and rolls her eyes. "Grandma took them to the toy store this morning to buy them doctor kits." Jackson shakes his head. His mother had forced him into becoming a doctor when he was a kid and now she's doing the same to his kids.

It bugs him, but he knows she won't stop until one, if not all of his kids become world class surgeons. "Dad, are you okay? You've been zoned out over there for the last few minutes?" He gives her a nod. "I'm fine, how's the omelet?" She stares at him uncertainly for a few moments before finally accepting that what he's saying to her is the truth. "It's surprisingly awesome." Jackson looks over at April and they exchange a look. The look their sharing right now says a lot of things. It conveys love, best friendship, and most of all, contentedness. They've finally made it back here to this place, where they had shared their vows, and promised to love each other always. Jackson vows to get things right this time by finally turning the page in their story and seeing what comes next.


	25. Forever

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Grey's Anatomy". Well, this will be the last chapter of the story. I've enjoyed writing it immensely, as I have with my other Japril stories. Thanks again to all of you who have taken the time to follow/favorite this story and comment.

Chapter 25

Forever

6 Months Later

April can't imagine a better Christmas. She loves this Holiday and having her family back together again this year is the greatest gift she could have ever asked for. April feels her bed start to move and her eyes immediately open. She has been waiting for her children to wake her up this way, more specifically the twins, but is surprised to see her nugget sitting on the edge of the bed with a smile. The twins start jumping up and down, nearly falling on top of a sleeping Jackson. April can't help but laugh when he shoots up in bed with a frown. He looks over at the twins and then at her. "The munchkins decided that it's time to wake up." Jackson shakes his head and then rubs his eyes. "Alright, I'm up." April notices that sexy smirk of his appear on his face before the twins drag them out of bed.

They all head towards the living room, the twins skipping the whole way, and Harriet shaking her head pretending to be disgusted. Her oldest daughter turns towards her and Jackson. "They've been doing this since the crack of dawn." April can't help but giggle at that. "Better you than us." says Jackson. Harriet gives her father a playful glare before following her brother and sister to the brightly decorated Christmas tree. Ever since she was a child, she's always loved Christmas. There's just something so magical about this time of year. From baking gingerbread cookies, to decorating the Christmas tree, it's all such a joy.

As her eyes scan the gifts left by Santa the night before, her heart warms. Her little munchkins practically dive into their presents and Harriet travels over to her side a little less eager, but soon she sees a smile appear on her face. April watches her babies start to unwrap their gifts for a few moments before she remembers the camera. She quickly turns to the love of her life and smiles when she sees him with the camera already in his hands. "You remembered?" Jackson nods his head. "I know it's been a few years since we celebrated together, but I know how much you love Christmas." She laughs at that and watches the smirk cross over his face. "I knew there was a reason I married you." Jackson shifts to give her a brief kiss and then they both turn their attention back to their children.

April watches the excitement on Mary's face as she opens a new doll that she's been pointing at, whenever they've gone to the toy store. She then shifts her focus to Gabriel who clutches his new skateboard to his chest. "I need to write a thank you note to Santa for this." says Mary with a big grin. "Me too, mommy. This is the best present ever." exclaims Gabriel. _April lives for moments like these, her children happy and full of life._ She suddenly hears a scream coming from the other side of the tree and it quickly turns her attention to Harriet. "It's the exact boots I wanted, can't wait to show everyone at school." As the kids spend the next few minute opening the rest of their gifts, April can't help but feel blessed with the family that her and Jackson have made together. While it hasn't always been easy, she's thankful for all of it, _all of them._ "Mom, you have a present from dad." April's knocked out of her thoughts by her oldest daughter and she gives her a smile as she hands her over the present.

Before she opens it, she turns to Jackson with a grin. "I wonder what's in here?" He gives her a smirk. "Open it and see." With that, she looks down at the small box and opens it. Her heart stops, when she sees a beautiful diamond ring nestled inside. April feels the tears begin to glisten in her eyes and she knows that she won't be able to hold them back from falling. "Do you like it, mommy?" asks Gabriel. She looks up at her son and nods. "It's beautiful." Her son gives her a smile. "We helped daddy pick it out." April's eyes travel over to her other munchkin. "Well, you and daddy did a great job picking it." She feels the happy tears fall down her cheeks and her heart explodes with a sense of overwhelming love.

April's eyes finally lock with Jackson's and she knows that this is it. They are both finally in the right place to make this work. April's heart does a flip as she watches Jackson give her a smirk and then kneel. "April Kepner, will you marry me again?" She feels the happy tears continue falling down her cheeks and she knows that there's no doubt what her answer will be. April must take too long to answer because she hears Harriet clear her throat. "So, mom, what's it going to be?" She turns to look at her nugget for a few moments and then over to her little munchkins. April smiles at all three of her beautiful children. _She knows in her heart that there's no one else she'd rather do this with, grow old with._ _April's always known._

She stares at the man that she loves with her whole heart, the only man, and gives him a nod. "Yes, I will marry you again." Jackson quickly grabs the ring out of the box and slips it on her left finger. _It's where it's meant to be_. April knows this time around that she'll forever be tied to Jackson Avery, and that they'll finally get the ending that they deserve, the ending that they've both yearned for. As she puts her arms around him, she soon feels three sets of arms surrounding them both. Yes, April knows that this is her dream coming true, and that they're writing a new story together. _One with no end this time._


End file.
